The Nyazian Scrolls Saga: A Charmed Friendship
by Scealai
Summary: **COMPLETE**A crossover with Charmed. Set in the future, the threat to Connor's life isn't as dire and so Angel allows him to attend school where his son meets two new and interesting friends.
1. Chapter One

Introduction  
  
This is a series called The Nyazian Scrolls Saga. It is basically a  
Harry Potteresque adventure series starring Angel's son, Connor, and   
his friends, Pandora Halliwell and Ron Weasley. This is not a cross-  
over with Harry Potter, the use of Ron's name will be explained within  
the fic. The series will be set up much like the Harry Potter books  
with each story taking place in the next year with the characters one  
year older. The first story is called "A Charmed Friendship." I don't  
know how long each story will be or how many I will write - that will  
probably depend upon creative inspiration and the response to the   
series. And before anyone yells at me: Yes, this is Willow/Angel, it  
just might take a while to get there, but Willow is definitely in the  
story and there will be a friendship/romance storyline for them. I   
hope that you enjoy the series.  
  
***********************************************************************  
Title: The Nyazian Scrolls Saga: A Charmed Friendship  
Author: T. C.  
Rating: PG-13; same as show  
Pairing: Connor/Pandora/Ron friendship; Willow/Angel friendship  
Summary: The danger to Angel's son is starting to die down and he goes   
to school where he meets two interesting friends.  
Disclaimer: The characters of BTVS and Angel belong to Joss Whedon,  
20th Century Fox, the WB, and UPN. The characters of   
Charmed belong to Constance M. Burge, Spelling Television  
Inc., and the WB. The character of Ron Weasley belongs to  
J.K. Rowling. Pandora Halliwell is mine.  
Spoilers: Season 3 of Angel, definitely up to "Dad." Season 7 of BTVS  
may be referred to up to "Wrecked." Season 4 of Charmed.  
Author's Note: Since most of this is basically my universe, I've let my  
new title of 'God' go to my head and I've made a few  
changes. First of all, this is not a Harry Potter   
crossover - I've just character-napped Ron Weasley. I  
think that he's a great friend and just what Connor   
would need. Because this story really has nothing to do  
with the Potter-verse, Ron will be different from the  
books, I've basically taken the name and some of the   
attitude. Secondly, the Halliwells now live in Los  
Angeles, not in San Francisco. This just makes things  
easier for me.   
***********************************************************************   
Part One  
  
The janitor's closet was dark and had a faint, musty lemon smell, but   
it was the best place to eavesdrop on conversations taking place in  
Uncle Wesley's office. Connor held his breath as the voices rose in  
volume. He hadn't wanted to start an argument, but his Mom was one of  
the few people who could change his Dad's mind.  
  
"Angel, you're being stubborn!" Cordelia's voice rang loud and clear   
even in the closet. "Connor deserves to have a semblance of a normal  
life. He can't be hidden away forever."  
  
"Cordelia." Angel glanced meaningfully at the janitor's closet just  
outside the office's door. He could hear his son's heartbeat, but even  
if he couldn't, he would have known he was there. It was his favorite  
hiding place - had been for the past ten years. "His life is still in  
danger."  
  
"There hasn't been an attempt to kidnap or kill Connor in over a year."  
Cordelia jumped up on Wesley's desk to sit beside Angel as he leaned  
against it. "Wesley and the assorted demon tutors that Lorne has sent  
us are fine, but they bore him. Xander, Anya, and their kids don't   
visit very often and besides, Brenden and Michelle are younger than  
Connor. He needs kids his own age to play with. We can't be his   
whole world."  
  
"I know. It's just that...."  
  
"You'll worry," Cordelia finished Angel's statement. She put a   
comforting hand on his shoulder. "So will I. So will Wesley and Gunn  
and Fred and even Spike. We all love him, but we can't protect him by  
sheltering him. If he's going to deal with...the prophecies...he needs  
to learn some things on his own."  
  
"I know." Angel ran a hand through his hair. He knew Cordelia was   
right. Connor needed to learn how to look after himself. This was the  
hardest thing he had ever done. "Fine. He can go to school."  
  
"I knew you would see sense eventually." Cordelia leaned over and  
kissed Angel's cheek.  
  
"And by 'sense' you mean 'your way'?" Angel teased.  
  
"Of course. You'll see, Angel, it will be okay. Saint Jude's Academy  
is a great school and it's not too far away. There's even sewer access   
for emergencies - not that there will be any - and, here's the best  
thing, who is going to look for the miracle offspring of two vampires  
in a Catholic school?" Cordelia jumped off the desk. She smiled a   
wide, encouraging grin, one she knew Angel couldn't resist. He had   
already consented, but she wanted him to feel good about his decision -  
it would cut down on the brooding time.  
  
"You've been doing your research." Angel smiled back at the woman his  
son called 'Mom.' Cordelia was his best friend. His confident. His  
unrequited love. Angel had accepted it years ago that Cordelia refused  
to allow her feelings for him move beyond a deep and abiding   
friendship. Even after raising a son together and the Powers rewarding  
him with a permanent soul, still Cordelia had insisted that they remain  
friends. She was looking for something - something he obviously   
couldn't provide - and Angel didn't want to lose her, so he accepted   
it.  
  
"Actually, it was Connor who did the research. He really wants this."  
Cordelia didn't know what else to say. She loved Connor and Angel so  
much, she couldn't stand to see either of them unhappy. Because of  
that, she had almost given in to Angel's flirting and started a   
relationship with him. Almost. It was only the fact that she knew  
she wasn't what Angel needed that stopped her. If they had done   
something stupid like get romantically involved, it would only have   
hurt Connor once it stopped working. Angel wasn't what she needed   
either.  
  
"Son," Angel called out and waited for the door to the janitor's closet  
to slowly swing open. Connor's dark head emerged, hope lighting his  
bright blue eyes. He looked a lot like his father, except for his   
eyes, those were Darla's. "Do you really want to do this?" At   
Connor's enthusiastic nod, Angel grinned. "Then I guess your Mom is  
going to have to take you shopping for school supplies."  
  
"And clothes."  
  
"There's a school uniform, Mom," Connor informed Cordelia with more  
than just a little relief. "I need to get at least two of them. And I  
need notebooks and pens and a ruler....I have the list upstairs in my  
bedroom. Can we go right now, Mom? Can we?" Without bothering to  
wait for his mother's nod, Connor tore upstairs, still excitedly   
listing off the things he would need to buy.  
  
"We better watch it, or we'll have another Willow on our hands." As   
soon as she realized what she said, the amused smile faded from   
Cordelia's lips. No one had seen Willow in eleven years, not since   
around the time Connor had been born, and the Sunnydale group was  
decidedly silent about the events surrounding the redhead's   
disappearance. Angel was especially bitter about the silence, he took  
it as guilt and blamed them for Willow running away. That and Connor's  
birth had been the death knell for Buffy and Angel's eternal soulmates  
angst. They barely spoke anymore and when they did, they ended up   
arguing about Willow and Connor.  
  
"That wouldn't be so bad." Angel sighed. Whenever Willow entered his  
thoughts, he sent up a silent prayer for her safety and he did so   
again. He had given up looking for her a year after she had left.  
Occasionally, a letter would arrive telling them she was safe and she  
never forgot to send cards at Christmas or on birthdays. She also   
seemed to know what was happening with them, because Connor was   
included. Angel had tried to find her by tracing the envelopes, but  
they were enchanted - the post office had no record of ever sending   
them so there was no return address. "She remembered Connor's  
birthday again. She sent a package early because they were busy with  
moving preparations."  
  
"They? So, she's not alone. Did she let anything else slip?"  
  
"No. I wish I could write her back. Then I could let her know that  
we don't care about whatever happened in Sunnydale and that she   
doesn't need our forgiveness."  
  
"And you could ask what the hell she did that was so horrible she had  
to leave and Buffy refuses to speak her name. I miss her." Cordelia   
scowled. It was a sad day in Willow Rosenberg's life when her former  
nemesis uttered those words and really meant them while her so-called  
best friends went on with their lives like Willow had never existed.  
When they visited, Cordelia tried to browbeat Xander into telling her  
what happened, but the last time he had actually started to cry and   
she had stopped.  
  
"I do too. I'm going to call Buffy again and maybe Xander. It's been  
awhile, maybe they'll finally tell me something." Angel may have given  
up trying to find Willow, but he hadn't stopped trying to find out what  
the hell happened that had made her disappear from their lives.  
  
"I got the list. Mommy, let's go." Connor dashed excitedly downstairs.  
He hadn't called Cordelia 'Mommy' in months, preferring to address her  
with a more mature 'Mom' now since he was about to turn eleven soon.  
  
"Okay." Cordelia grabbed her jacket and purse. She held out her hand  
for the keys to the convertible, which Angel handed over without  
protest. She pecked his cheek. "We'll be back in a couple of hours.  
Try Xander first. He still doesn't like you, but if he thinks you   
might be able to find Willow, he might tell you what happened."  
  
"I'm not going to look for Willow, she doesn't want to be found and, as  
long as she's safe, I have to respect that."  
  
"Just don't tell Xander that and he might spill. Bye, Angel." Cordelia  
took Connor's hand and they headed for the front door.  
  
"Bye, Cordy. Don't let her talk you into Armani pencils, Connor."  
  
"Armani doesn't make pencils." Cordelia tossed back a withering   
glance.  
  
Angel grinned. "If he did, you would buy them."  
  
*****  
  
It was too soon. She was just a baby - her baby - and there was no  
telling what would happen if she were out on her own. She wasn't   
ready. Piper Halliwell turned to look at her eleven year old   
daughter sitting in the passenger seat of the SUV. Pandora's hazel  
eyes were wide with excitement as she watched the other children   
exiting buses or their parents' vehicles and heading into the school.  
Piper tapped the steering wheel and hastily swung the car into a newly  
opened space. Who was she kidding? Pandora was more than ready to go  
to a regular school. She was the one who wasn't ready.  
  
"Okay, Sweetheart, here we are." Piper gave her daughter a toothy   
smile. She couldn't resist reaching out to stroke her long, wavy black  
hair. It was so much like Pru and Paige's. "Are you scared?"  
  
"No." Pandora shook her head. "School is fun, Mom. Thanks for letting  
me go and for convincing the Elders that it was a good idea."  
  
"That was your father." A familiar blue and white light filled the  
backseat and formed into the man just mentioned. "Leo! Do you really  
think you should be doing that here? We don't want to call attention  
to Pan."  
  
"The windows are tinted and everyone is concerned about getting their  
kids into the school so they can get to work on time. I'm sure no one  
noticed. I couldn't miss my daughter's first day of school." Leo  
leaned forward and planted a kiss on his wife. Then he turned to his  
daughter and smiled. "Have fun and be careful. If there's any   
trouble, Pan, all you have to do is call and I'll orb in if you need   
me."  
  
"Dad, the Source isn't going to send demons into a Catholic school to  
kidnap me. You and Mom worry too much."  
  
"We love you, sweetie." Piper hugged Pandora. She wasn't as confident  
as her daughter that the Source wouldn't look for her here. Of course,  
she had been fighting evil for fifteen years and tended to see it   
everywhere. She had also lost way too many people she loved for her  
not to be worried. "Remember, no using your powers, even if you drop  
your pencil, and your Aunt Paige will be here to pick you up right   
after school."  
  
"Okay. Bye, Mom. Bye, Dad." After a quick hug and a kiss to both of  
her parents, Pandora hopped out of the car. She gave them both a   
wave before joining the throng of uniformed students entering the   
school.  
  
"Tell me she'll be okay, Leo."  
  
"She'll be fine and I can always orb in if she's not." Leo squeezed   
Piper's shoulder. "The Elders couldn't teach her everything she needs  
to know, she needs practical experience."   
  
"She needs friends." Piper waited until Pandora entered the school   
before she put the car in gear and headed home. That was the only   
reason why she had agreed to let Pandora out of her sight and away from  
the Charmed Ones and the Elders' protection - her daughter was lonely.  
This would be good for Pandora. She would be fine.  
  
*****  
  
Ron Weasley was nervous and excited. He always felt this way his first  
day at a new school. He swiped at the bright red hair that fell into  
his eyes and pressed his freckled face closer to the window to get a  
better look at some of the other students. They were all wearing the  
same navy blue uniform jacket with white shirts and navy ties   
underneath with the boys in matching navy pants and the girls in navy  
plaid skirts. Ron had no idea why his mother insisted on sending him  
to a Catholic school since they weren't Catholic. Actually that   
probably was why she had sent him here, it was the last place He would  
look for him.  
  
"I'm sure you'll make new friends at this school too." Mac, his  
stepfather, tried to reassure him. He ran a hand through his wavy   
brown hair. "I'm sorry we had to leave New Orleans, but your mother  
was getting a bad feeling and you know what her bad feelings mean."  
  
"It's okay, Dad. I know why we have to move all the time." Ron's  
green eyes clouded. "Is Mom okay?"  
  
"She's fine. We're just a little too close to home for her and she  
has to deal with some memories." Mac ruffled Ron's hair. "Have a good  
day, son, and I'll pick you up after school."  
  
"Bye, Dad." Ron got out of the car. He slung his knapsack over his  
shoulder. The first day was always tough, but he always got through  
it.  
  
*****  
  
Throughout his young life, Connor had been prepared for many things.  
His mother and father had taught him how to fight and defend himself -  
not that they had let him even come close to using his skills on   
anything other than the punching bag in the basement. His Uncle Wesley  
and Aunt Fred had quizzed him endlessly on the vulnerabilities of   
vampires and assorted demons - not that he was ever allowed to use his  
knowledge. The only vampires he had ever met were his Dad and Uncle  
Spike and the only demons were Uncle Lorne and the benign tutors he had  
sent to teach him his schoolwork.   
  
Now, for the first time, Connor was going to face something and the   
irony was that he hadn't been prepared for it at all. He stood in the  
doorway of the classroom and shifted uncomfortably. The other kids had  
all found seats and had congregated into groups to talk about their  
summer vacations. They had all obviously gone to school together the  
previous years.  
  
"Hey, if you're auditioning to be the door, you're failing miserably,"  
a voice from behind Connor cracked. He turned around to see a boy his  
age with a mop of bright red hair and a pale freckled face.   
  
"Sorry." Connor stepped aside and allowed the boy to join him on the  
fringes of the classroom.  
  
"It's okay." The boy shook his head. "This is the worst part, finding  
some place to sit without disturbing or offending the social circles.  
I'm Ron Weasley, by the way, my family just moved to Los Angeles."  
  
"Connor Chase. This is my first day too."  
  
"Excellent! It's easier when there's more than one newbie. You just  
move here too?" Ron cocked his head to the side and readjusted his  
knapsack. He scanned the room for empty seats. He could already tell  
that he liked this Connor guy - kind of the strong, silent type - and  
it helped that he wasn't the only one without friends in this class.  
  
"No, I've lived in L. A. all my life. I had tutors."  
  
"Excuse me," a girl's voice interrupted their male bonding. "Class is  
about to start and you shouldn't be standing around like this. I'm  
Pandora Halliwell and I've been home-schooled until now as well."  
Pandora took a deep breath. There was no reason to be nervous. They  
were just boys and it's not like she was going to be friends with them.  
"There are three seats over there that aren't taken."  
  
Connor exchanged a glance with Ron before shrugging and following the  
girl with the take-charge attitude. He didn't quite know what to make  
of her, she kind of reminded him of his mother - she was always telling  
his dad and uncles what to do too. "I'm Connor Chase and this is Ron  
Weasley." Pandora nodded as she sat down in the seat in the front row.  
She looked like she was going to hold out her hand, but seemed to  
change her mind and ran it through her long black hair instead. Connor  
sat in the seat behind her and Ron took the one across from him to his  
left.  
  
"Good morning, class." The entrance of the teacher forestalled any   
more conversation between the three new classmates. The teacher was a  
young blonde woman who wore a long black skirt and a pink sweater.   
Connor was slightly surprised because he had thought his teachers would  
be nuns and she didn't seem to be a nun. "I'm Ms. Lana Foster and I'll  
be replacing Sister Frances this year since she has retired. I see we  
have three other new people today....Connor Chase, Ron Weasley, and  
Pandora Halliwell." Ms. Foster looked up as she read their names and   
they each nodded in turn.   
  
A soft snigger to his right drew Connor's attention. He looked over at  
the pretty girl with her blonde hair done up in barrettes. Her cold  
blue eyes were fixed on Pandora. "I hope you didn't bring a box to  
school with you. Your parents must be heathens, Halliwell, to give you  
such a ridiculous name." Pandora's spine stiffened, but she didn't  
turn around to acknowledge the comment.  
  
"I like it," Connor immediately defended her. "It's unusual."  
  
The blonde girl turned to him, a smile warming her eyes. "Connor   
Chase, right? I'm Amanda Vespy. Just a little friendly advice, you  
might want to think about your fondness for the unusual, it's not  
accepted here."  
  
"Really?" Ron's eyes bugged out and his mouth contorted into strange  
shapes as he put on a blatantly false display of surprise. "You mean  
the whole everyone-wears-the-same-thing was an attempt to make us all  
alike? And here I thought this school would be the right bloody place  
for freedom of expression!"  
  
"Children," Ms. Foster interrupted with a pointed look before Amanda  
could respond to Ron's sarcasm. "You can get to know each other   
better later, right now let's focus on the lesson."  
  
In response to the teacher's order, Connor turned to face the front.  
Pandora sat with her head bent over her books, writing furiously even  
thought the teacher wasn't really saying anything that needed to be  
written down. It was like she needed to keep her hands busy so that  
they wouldn't be doing something else.  
  
*****  
  
When Connor arrived back at the Hyperion with Uncle Gunn after school,  
his Mom and Dad were waiting for him. So was a glass of milk and a   
plate of chocolate chip cookies. Sometimes in their efforts to give  
him a 'normal' life, his parents got a little dorky and cliched.  
  
"So, Connor, how was your first day of school? Are your teachers   
nice? Do you like your classes?" Cordelia gave him a big hug and a  
kiss. She would never admit it to Angel, but she had been worried   
sick all day.  
  
"It was fine, Mom. Ms. Foster is really nice and the classes are okay,  
I guess." Connor bit into a cookie.  
  
"Did you make some new friends?" Angel asked his question much more  
calmly than Cordelia had asked hers. She hadn't fooled him, she had  
paced and fidgeted all day. He had actually been surprised when he  
hadn't joined her in her worry. Now he knew why. His son needed this  
experience and had felt he was ready for it. Angel trusted Connor's  
judgement.  
  
A swig of cold milk washed down the cookie as Connor considered his  
Dad's question. He thought about Ron. He like him. Ron was funny and  
easy to get along with. Pandora was a bit harder to figure out. She  
was bossy and outspoken, yet she hadn't defended herself against   
Amanda's taunts. "I think so, Dad."  
  
To be continued..... 


	2. Chapter Two

Part Two  
  
The next day, Ron was waiting for Connor in front of the school. He  
had told his mother and father about his new friend, he had even   
mentioned Pandora, and it had seemed to make his mother feel better.  
She had smiled. Moving always made her feel guilty, because it made   
her feel like she couldn't give him a proper home. She had lived her  
whole life in the same town and had grown up with her friends.  
  
"Hey, Connor, ready for another day?" Ron greeted the other boy with a  
grin. "Ready to face the commander in chief of the Conventionality   
Police, otherwise known as Amanda Vespy?"  
  
"I'm not particularly looking forward to that." Connor looked around.  
"Have you seen Pandora?"  
  
"Nope, but I'm sure she'll be in class." Ron elbowed Connor. "Took a   
liking to her did you?"  
  
"No," Connor immediately protested as his face heated up. His mother  
had said almost the same thing the night before when he had told them  
about Pandora Halliwell. The last thing he needed was for people to   
think he liked a girl. "She was just acting weird yesterday, don't  
you think?"  
  
Ron shrugged. "She's a girl," he said as if that was the only   
explanation needed. They entered the classroom to find Pandora already  
sitting at her desk reading a book.  
  
"Hey, Pandora," Connor greeted her as he sat down behind her. He   
ignored Ron's pantomimed calf eyes and desperate clutching of his   
heart. "You're here early this morning."  
  
"My Mom and Aunts had some...business to take care of this morning so  
Dad brought me early before he went to...work." Pandora neglected to  
add that the reason why they arrived so early was because they had  
orbed into the alley behind the school. Her Mom, Aunt Phoebe, and   
Aunt Paige had to go vanquish a demon. She hoped they were alright.  
  
"Good morning, class." Ms. Foster breezed in and cast a smile in the  
general direction of the class. Pandora dutifully faced forward,  
pushing any worry she had for her family to the back of her mind.  
  
*****  
  
"Phoebe, watch out!" Piper cast her hands in her sister's direction.  
The small blue demon with the glowing green eyes behind Phoebe exploded  
into blue ash and swirling green smoke.  
  
"Was that the last one?" Phoebe coughed. She looked around the parking  
garage, but only saw parked cars.  
  
"I think so." Paige stood up from behind the convertible she had ducked  
under for cover when one of the demons had flown at her. She had orbed  
it into oblivion before it had hit her. "What the hell were they? I  
thought we were tracking a Wilcate demon?"  
  
"We were." Piper dusted herself off. "I think those were the   
welcoming committee."  
  
"Well, I feel welcome." Paige joined her sisters. "How come this   
isn't getting easier? We're the Charmed Ones, we kick ass - we've  
proven we kick ass - why aren't they cowering and running from us?"  
  
"Because evil isn't easily intimidated." Phoebe bit her lip and tucked  
a stray strand of light brown hair that had escaped her braid behind  
her ear. She cast a wary glance at her older sister. "Maybe these  
demons were a distraction. The Source has sent a Wilcate after Pan  
before."  
  
"It can't enter the school. Wilcates can't stand on sacred ground and  
Saint Jude's is built on sacred ground, that's why Leo and I chose it.  
Pan's safe." Piper headed back to the car, her jaw set, but she  
couldn't stop the quaver in her voice.  
  
"Of course she is." Paige frowned at Phoebe as they followed their  
older sister. She then pasted on a bright smile. "So, did Pan say  
anything about her first day of school? She was kind of quiet when I   
picked her up yesterday."  
  
"I think it's different than what she expected. She likes her teacher  
and the schoolwork though."  
  
"She is her mother's daughter." Phoebe smiled.  
  
"Yeah." Piper grimaced. "I wish she were more like you and Prue and  
not so shy. She needs friends, not ridicule from her peers."  
  
"She'll meet friends, she's just being picky. That's a good thing,   
because being picky means you end up with really good friends." Paige  
glanced at her watch. "I've got to go or I'll be late for a meeting  
at the courthouse. Do you need me to pick Pan up again after school?"  
  
"No, Cole said he would do it," Phoebe answered for Piper. She and the  
eldest Halliwell walked to the black SUV recklessly parked in the   
middle of the lane while Paige headed to her blue sports car. "Have   
you seen him around the courthouse? He hasn't really said anything  
about his new job as a child advocate."  
  
"I'll see him at the meeting. I think he likes it." Paige got into  
her car. "See you later."  
  
"Or sooner if any more demons show up." Piper waved as Paige drove   
off. She turned to Phoebe as they got into the car. "What's going on  
between you and Cole?"  
  
"Nothing. We haven't really talked and I don't see very much of him  
lately - not since I turned down his last proposal. He's disconnecting  
from me, Piper. He's still depressed and angry. You would think that  
he had gotten used to being human by now, it's been eleven years."  
  
"I think his moods have more to do with his girlfriend rejecting his  
proposals of marriage for the last eleven years. He seems to have  
accepted his humanity just fine. He did refuse the Source's offer to  
give him back his demon powers."  
  
"That's because he had to kill Pan to get them back and he adores   
her."  
  
"He probably would like a few children of his own." Piper glanced at  
Phoebe, but looked away before asking her question. It had been on her  
mind for a few years now. At first, the idea of Phoebe being involved  
with a demon who had tried to kill them was unsettling, but Cole had  
proven that he was no longer a murdering minion for the Source. "Just  
out of curiosity, why did you turn him down this time?"  
  
"I don't know." Phoebe sighed and leaned her forehead against the  
passenger side window. She frowned at her reflection as Piper drove  
out of the parking garage and headed toward their club, P3.  
  
*****  
  
The day was half over. The day was half over. Pandora repeated that  
mantra to herself over and over. Why had she ever wanted to go to   
school? The Elders could have taught her everything she would ever   
need to know and probably more than that if she asked, but they   
couldn't have given her friends. She had wanted to meet other children  
her own age and have fun like Aunt Phoebe and Aunt Paige had when they  
had gone to school. But that wasn't going to happen. For some reason,  
Amanda Vespy had taken it upon herself to make Pandora an outcast.  
She didn't know what she had done wrong, she had tried to be as normal  
as possible. She hadn't used her powers at all - not even by accident-  
although she had been sorely tempted.  
  
"Watch it, Heathen," Amanda turned and hissed when Pandora bumped into  
her in the lunch line. "I guess your parents didn't bother to teach  
you manners."  
  
For a second, a variety of hexes and curses she had read in the Book of  
Shadows flitted through Pandora's mind. Using any one of them would  
have been satisfying. And wrong. Pandora sighed. She looked down at  
the banana and apple she had set on her tray. It would have to be   
enough, she had a sudden desire to be alone. She wasn't that hungry  
anyway. Pandora walked out of the line and headed out into the   
courtyard.   
  
As she passed through the glass door leading outside, a small dark  
haired girl brushed past her on her way inside. A sudden flash of   
light and pain froze Pandora. A jumble of images assaulted her brain.  
The small girl cowering in a corner. The dusty bricks of a basement  
wall. Glowing blood red talons reaching toward a bent dark head.  
Pandora gasped and stumbled outside, not noticing when her tray slipped  
from her grasp and crashed to the ground.  
  
"Honestly, I don't know how she was accepted into this school. My  
parents were told Saint Jude's was a very prestigious, but if they had  
known that they let in graceless heathens....well, they would have sent  
me to school in Paris instead." Amanda flipped her hair over her   
shoulder. The girls around her tittered on cue.  
  
From behind them, Connor frowned. He had seen everything and it   
worried him. "Did you see what happened to Pandora?" he asked Ron to  
make sure he wasn't overreacting about something that might be normal  
behavior for adolescents.  
  
"Yeah, Amanda said something mean to Pandora and she left. Then that  
girl walked by her and she freaked." Ron added two dishes of green  
Jell-O to his tray. It joined the Twinkies and the baloney sandwich.  
"She's a strange one."  
  
Maybe to some, but to Connor, Pandora's behavior was all to familiar.  
The way she had went rigid and then twitched, losing all control of   
her muscles had reminded him of when his mother had a vision. "I'm   
going to go check on her." Connor set his tray down and headed toward  
the courtyard.  
  
"Guess I am too." Ron shrugged. He looked down at his tray for a   
moment, appraising each of the items sitting on it. Finally, he   
snatched up the Twinkies and the sandwich before following Connor out.  
  
They found Pandora sitting under a tree, her knees drawn up to her  
chest and her head in her hands. Connor crouched down beside her.   
Tentatively, he touched her shoulder. "Are you okay, Pandora?"  
  
"Yeah, you don't have some weird medical condition that involves  
seizures, do you?" Ron unwrapped a Twinkie and bit into it. He threw  
the wrapper onto the grass.  
  
"You shouldn't litter." Pandora raised her head. Tears stained her  
cheeks and she scrubbed at them with the heel of her hand. "And no, I  
don't have a medical condition."  
  
"Wow, you're even bossy when you're upset. What's got you so hacked  
off? It's not Amanda, is it? Because she's just a stuck up snob.   
They have them in every school." Ron bent and picked up the wrapper.  
He stuffed it in his pocket.  
  
"You wouldn't understand." Pandora stood up. Her face and eyes were  
red from crying, there wasn't much she could do about that, but she  
smoothed a hand over her hair to make it more presentable.  
  
"We might." Connor rose as well. "It might help if you talk to your  
friends."  
  
Friends. What would Pandora tell her friends? That Amanda Vespy was   
right? That she was weird. That she was a witch. That her mother  
and aunts were witches, but not just any witches, they were the Charmed  
Ones. That her father was a white-lighter, a guardian angel for good  
witches and her uncle was an ex-demon. That would go over real well.  
Connor and Ron would think she was nuts. They would tell everyone she  
was crazy and then there would be no chance at all for her to fit in.  
"I can't be friends with boys!" Pandora snapped instead of pouring out  
all of her secrets. The tears started running down her cheeks again.  
"That would just make me weirder." She ran off toward a side door to  
the school. Hopefully everyone would still be in the lunchroom and she  
could hide out in a girl's bathroom in peace.  
  
"There you have it, she doesn't want to be our friend." Ron shook his  
head. The crying figure of Pandora disappeared into the school. "That  
just goes to show you - you never leave green Jell-O for a girl. It's  
not worth it."  
  
"We can't let her go like that." Connor started following Pandora's  
shaky route back to the school. "She's upset."  
  
"And she's just going to go cry in the bathroom!" Ron watched Connor  
for a bit before throwing up his hands and running up to join him. "I  
guess we're her friends whether she likes it or not."  
  
*****  
  
The dusky gloom of the hotel lobby where the offices of Angel   
Investigations was based was suffused with the golden light that  
filtered through the dark curtains or blinds covering the windows.   
Wesley and Cordelia sat at Wesley's desk going through old case files  
and updating their demon database while Angel and Gunn went through the  
weapons closet to make sure everything was battle ready. Fred was at  
the library, doing research on her doctoral thesis on the place of  
parallel universes in the space/time continuum.   
  
"Cordy's calmer today," Gunn commented. He ran his finger carefully  
along the blade of a broadsword to test its sharpness. "Has she   
decided the creepy-crawlies aren't going to attack Conner in the middle  
of math class?"  
  
"I think she was reassured when Connor talked about meeting some of the  
other children yesterday." Angel glanced over at Cordelia. She was  
typing something into the computer as Wesley read from a file. It was  
a bit early for them to be updating the database - they had just done  
it a couple of weeks ago - but Wesley had suggested it to keep Cordelia  
busy.   
  
Gunn leaned forward. "He tell you about the girl...Pandora Halliwell?"  
Gunn's teeth flashed as he grinned.  
  
Angel chuckled. "Yes. Cordelia was particularly pleased to hear   
about her. Although Connor was quick to tell her she wasn't his  
girlfriend."  
  
"I don't know, Angel-man, you might want to sit him down for a birds  
and bees talk." Gunn laughed at the shock and horror that crossed his  
friend's face.   
  
"He's only eleven." Angel swallowed hard. "It was hard enough trying  
to explain the circumstances of his birth, especially since we still  
don't have any idea how the hell that happened." Angel's dazed   
rambling was interrupted by the front door opening. Whoever it was,  
it was someone who knew Angel, because the door was opened carefully -  
so as to not throw a lot of light into the room. "Hello," Angel  
called out in greeting and stood up.  
  
"Hi, Angel." Anya Harris closed the door. She was alone, which was  
strange because Anya had never set foot in the Hyperion without Xander  
and their children. "You have to stop calling Xander about Willow.   
It's going to kill him."  
  
Everyone stared at Anya after she made her pronouncement. Her lip  
trembled and she was on the verge of tears. Angel immediately crossed  
over to her and guided her into one of the lobby chairs. "I haven't   
spoken to Xander about Willow in almost a month. She sent an early   
birthday present to Connor and I was thinking about her. I need to   
know what happened."  
  
Anya offered Angel a tremulous smile. "She never forgets Brenden and  
Michelle's birthdays either, although sometimes I wish she would. It  
hurts Xander that she's gone and he doesn't understand how she can   
know so much about our lives and yet she won't let us know anything  
about hers. Buffy thinks she's still using black magic."  
  
Angel sat down across from Anya. Gunn, Cordelia, and Wesley also found  
seats near them. Gunn didn't really know Willow, he had just met her  
that one time when she came to tell them that Buffy was dead, but he  
knew how her disappearance had torn up Angel and Cordelia. Even Wesley  
had been upset and he had also once confessed that he hadn't known the  
young witch that well.   
  
"Are you finally going to tell us what happened?" Cordelia asked.  
  
"Yes." Anya stared down at her clasped hands. "Xander and I would   
have told you ages ago, but Buffy didn't want you to know. Xander's  
loyal to Buffy - she's his only friend left - and I'm loyal to Xander,  
but it's been eleven years. We can't keep living like this. Xander  
can't keep living with this, if I tell you, you have to promise to stop  
calling him about Willow."   
  
"We won't call unless we find her," Cordelia offered the promise Anya  
had asked for and an additional one that she knew Angel wasn't   
committed to.  
  
"What did Buffy do to make Willow leave?" Angel asked quietly, partly  
to divert attention from Cordelia's rash promise and partly because he  
really wanted to know. He had always known that the reason for their  
silence was guilt and since Buffy was the most adamant that Willow's  
disappearance from their lives not be talked about, she had to be the  
one feeling the most guilty.  
  
"Well, as you know, Willow had some trouble with magic use - she was  
addicted to it - which isn't uncommon to untrained witches. After Tara  
left her, she found a way to turn Amy from a rat back into her human  
form. Amy introduced her to this dark warlock, Rack, who dealt in   
powerful black-market spells and he fed her addiction...."  
  
"And Willow put Dawn's life in danger," Cordelia interrupted. "We know  
this part. Why did Willow leave?"  
  
"Willow went cold turkey - no magic. She was doing okay and Xander was  
so relieved. He had been so worried about her. About a month later,  
Rack turned up again. He just walked right into the Magic Box. He  
told us that Willow was still coming to him - that she had never   
stopped - and we believed him. Buffy was livid. She kicked Willow out  
of her house and, well, no one exactly volunteered to give her a place  
to stay. She stayed at that crappy hotel for a few weeks and tried to  
convince us that Rack was lying, but we wouldn't listen to her. Then  
she just left. We didn't mean for her to leave town and disappear - it  
was supposed to be tough love. Xander broke down, he realized that   
Willow was telling us the truth. She had been fine that last month, a  
little shaky, but not wrecked like she had been when she was going to  
Rack. Buffy refuses to believe it though, she insists that Willow is  
dangerous and that we're better off with her gone. It's tearing   
Xander apart."  
  
"Maybe if Willow knew that, she would come back." Cordelia reached   
over and squeezed Anya's hand. She threw a pointed look in Angel's  
direction. "And then she could show Buffy that she's wrong and that  
she isn't evil."  
  
"Okay, fine. We'll look for her again." Angel looked at Wesley. "At  
least we have a bit more to go on. Why don't you see what you can find  
on this Rack guy, Wesley? I'll got to Lorne's and ask if he's heard of  
him or if he knows where we can find him." Angel stood up. Willow   
might not want to be found, but she would want to know if her friends  
were suffering because of her disappearance. And Angel couldn't bare  
the thought of Willow being out there thinking that she didn't deserve  
to be with her friends because she thought she was evil.  
  
***** 


	3. Chapter Two Continued

There was a bathroom here somewhere, Pandora was sure of it. She  
wandered further down the corridor, wiping at her eyes furiously. She  
couldn't go back to class looking like this, she would never hear the  
end of it. She reached a corner. Down one end of the hall, she could  
hear voices, so she turned and walked down the other. As she turned  
the corner, she noticed the small girl who had brushed past her earlier  
disappear through a door. Out of curiosity, and because she didn't   
want to go back where the voices were, Pandora walked over to the   
door. She pushed it open to reveal a set of stairs that led down to  
the basement.  
  
The basement. The images from Pandora's vision rushed back at her, but  
without the blinding pain this time. The girl was in trouble. Pandora  
took the steps two at a time, hoping she wasn't too late. The basement  
was dark and cluttered with old desks, crates full of books, and other   
things that the school and church didn't use anymore. A thick layer of  
dust had settled on top of the objects, but the floor was pristine.  
Pandora heard a muffled sound and followed it.  
  
"Hello," she called out. She walked around a tower of crates. The  
girl was huddled in the corner with her back to Pandora. It was just  
like in her vision. "Are you okay?"  
  
The girl hurriedly stuffed something into a desk beside the wall and  
whirled around. "A little privacy would have been nice," she snapped  
and glared at Pandora. "What are you doing lurking around the   
basement? Or were you following me? Amanda is right, you are a  
freak." The girl stalked past Pandora and up the stairs.  
  
"Great. Just perfect," Pandora muttered to herself. "Now I'll be  
known as the basement lurking freak. Damn vision." Pandora frowned.  
She had seen the girl being attacked by a demon - or something with  
talons. Maybe it was just Amanda. Or maybe it wasn't going to happen  
until later when the girl came back for whatever it was she had hidden.  
Pandora stepped forward and bent down to look in the desk. A few cd's  
and a discman were stored in there. Rod Zombie and Marilyn Manson  
along with a few others that were probably prohibited in a good   
Catholic school girl's home. She would most likely come back for them  
later and that's when....  
  
A swishing, squelching sound behind her made the hairs on the back of  
Pandora's neck rise and her skin prickle. A lock of her hair fell over  
her eyes. As she pushed it back behind her ear, it hit her. She had  
seen the talons reaching toward the bent head of a dark haired girl.  
Her head was bent. She had dark hair. It was with more than a little  
trepidation that Pandora turned and looked up.  
  
"Witchhh," the Silear Nathair, or Cellar Serpent, lisped with its   
forked tongue. It was big, it would have been over seven feet tall if  
it had stood up on legs instead of slithering around. Its long  
snake-like body had a thick hide covered in a thin layer of clear   
ooze instead of scales and its upper body was reared up like a cobra's.  
Two skinny arms with five spindly fingers that ended in sharp talons  
fidgeted excitedly in front of it. It's head was disturbingly humanoid  
in shape with big blue eyes and flapping dog-like ears. It's small   
mouth was lined with flat grinding teeth that it used to pulverize the  
bones of its victims. Cellar Serpents also fed psychically on strong   
emotion - its favorite being Faith and Love - so it usually dwelled in  
the basements of churches, temples, and other places of worship.  
"Witchhh." It reached out to Pandora.  
  
Pandora did the only thing she always did in a moment of panic. She   
dissolved into dancing points of blue light as she orbed out of the  
creature's reach.  
  
"Whoa, did you see that?" Ron's eyes were wide as Pandora dissipated   
into glowing light.  
  
"Yeah," Connor answered. "And that too." He nodded at the serpent  
as it turned toward their voices.  
  
"Witchhh gone." The Cellar Serpent whipped around, surprisingly fast  
despite its size. It's eerily human eyes flicked over Connor before  
resting on Ron. "Annothhher one." It slithered closer.  
  
From behind it, the blue lights reformed and Pandora appeared in the   
same spot she had left. Ron stumbled back in astonishment at Pandora's  
sudden reappearance at the same time the serpent reached out at him.  
The talons grazed his cheek, drawing blood. Pandora screamed,   
distracting the serpent and it wheeled around to confront her. Connor  
took the opportunity to pick up a large crate full of textbooks and he  
heaved it at the creature. The crate hit the back of the creature's   
head and broke open, burying it top portion in wood and books. The   
tail flailed in every direction, knocking Connor and Ron to the floor.  
It then swung up and crashed back down onto the floor. Both the boys  
rolled away in different directions, but as Ron rolled, he changed.  
When he stopped, in Ron's school uniform was a red roan puppy around  
six months old. The puppy gave a spirited bark and a brave little  
growl before wiggling out of the oversized shoes and pants. It   
attacked the thrashing tail of the serpent, biting down on it and   
hanging on.  
  
The tail flipped furiously above them even with the Ron/puppy attached  
to it, so Connor hurled himself on it as well. As they wrestled with  
the bottom half, the top part of the serpent broke through the books  
and wooden debris of the crate and made a grab for Pandora. "No!" She  
squeezed her eyes shut and gestured in its direction with her hands the  
way she had seen her mother do about a million times when fighting a  
demon. The ensuing silence punctuated only by quiet panting convinced  
Pandora that she hadn't blown any one up so she opened her eyes.   
Connor sat on the floor breathing hard. The Cellar Serpent was frozen  
in a 'U' shape, its head and tail in the air.  
  
"Where's Ron?" Pandora looked around. Connor pointed to a stack of  
crates.  
  
"I'm fine." Ron walked from behind the crates, tucking his shirt into  
his pants. "What's that?"  
  
"Silear Nathair or Cellar Serpent. It's a carnivorous snake-like  
demon that dwells in church basements and other places of worship   
because it feeds psychically off the faith of the congregation as well  
as...the congregation." The three eyed each other uncertainly. "It's  
not going to stay frozen forever."  
  
Set up against the wall a few feet from Connor was an old heavy pewter  
cross. He picked it up and walked over to the serpent. With one   
swing, he smashed its head open and it flopped to the floor. Again,   
the three regarded each other with suspicion.  
  
"You shouldn't have been able to do that, that cross is too heavy for  
an eleven year old boy to pick up and swing around. You also picked up  
and threw that huge crate filled with books." Pandora pointed her  
finger at Connor.  
  
Connor immediately pointed at Ron. "He turned into a dog."  
  
"She dissolved into little blue lights and froze the snake-thing." Ron  
pointed at Pandora. The three of them stood like that for a few   
moments. "So, who's going to go first?"  
  
The accusing fingers dropped. Connor's gaze went from Pandora to Ron.  
One of them did have to go first. "I'm the miracle offspring of two  
vampires. My vampire mother dusted herself so I could be born and ever  
since then assorted demon cults and all around evil guys have been   
trying to either convert me or kill me. My father is a vampire cursed  
with his soul by gypsies and he's a warrior for the Powers That Be.  
My Mom is his Seer. Along with my aunt and uncles, they fight evil  
and protect me."  
  
"My mother is a witch. She and my Aunts are the Charmed Ones, they  
fight evil with the Power of Three. My father is their white-lighter,  
a guardian angel for good witches. Mom named me after her older sister   
who died fighting demons and her mother - Pandora Patricia Prudence   
Halliwell - and by doing that she inadvertently gave me the Power of   
Three too, all of it, I don't share it with anyone else, and because of  
that the Source has been trying to kill me since the day I was born."  
  
"My mother's a witch too. She, my Dad, and I have been on run ever   
since I was born. We're hiding from my biological father. He wants to  
sacrifice me to his Dark Lords in exchange for stronger magical power."  
  
A short silence followed as they each digested the others' confessions.  
"Let me get this straight. Our parents are weird. Our lives are in   
mortal danger. And we've got to get rid of this Cellar Serpent before  
it starts stinking up the place." Ron grinned. "Well, someone's gotta  
say it and it might as well be me. I think this is the beginning of  
a beautiful friendship. Extremely odd, but beautiful."  
  
Pandora and Connor both returned Ron's grin and they all laughed. Ron  
was right. How could they not be friends? Once you've hacked up and  
buried the body of a Silear Nathair, more commonly known as the Cellar  
Serpent, you really had no choice because that's what friendships are  
built on.  
  
To be continued... 


	4. Chapter Three

Part Three  
  
The building that housed the evil of Wolfram and Hart had changed very  
little over the years. The more modern conveniences and toys were   
added of course - a neural net computer system and virtual art   
displayed in the reception area - but the same old vampire detector   
protected the front entrance and the Picasso still hung on the wall.  
Demons never let go of the past while taking over the future. When he  
entered the reception area, Lindsey MacDonald felt nothing. Not fear.  
Not regret. Nothing - except determination.  
  
"I would like to see Ms. Morgan." Lindsey frowned slightly at the  
receptionist's profile. He remembered her. Christie. She looked  
exactly the same. "I'm an old friend."  
  
Christie looked up at him. Her eyes were an inky black void - no  
whites, no iris, no pupil. She wasn't exactly as he remembered.   
"Lindsey MacDonald." Her voice was toneless, dispassionate. Her head  
cocked to the side and she paused for a moment while she accessed the  
neural net. "Ms. Morgan will see you now. Top floor."  
  
"Of course." Lindsey smiled sadly at Christie. "Rewarded for loyal   
service, were you?" He walked away to the elevators without waiting   
for a response. There wouldn't be one. When he had left Wolfram and  
Hart, Christie had been a person. She had been a pleasant, flirty  
twenty-something woman who worked as a receptionist for what she   
thought was a normal law firm with normal clients. Now she was merely  
a golem - a mindless minion of Wolfram and Hart, her personality   
sucked out of her along with her soul. That could have been him.   
Sure, he would still have had his soul, but it would have been sold to  
the Senior Partners.  
  
With a quiet chime, the elevator indicated it had reached the top   
floor. It had barely taken a second. The doors opened right into  
Lilah's office. It was beautifully appointed in lavender and cedar.  
"Lindsey." Lilah remained seated behind her ridiculously large desk.  
"What a wonderful surprise."  
  
"You knew the minute I stepped foot into this city, Lilah." The outer  
walls were comprised of large picture windows. One was behind Lilah.  
Lindsey walked over to the one adjacent to it and looked down over the  
city. "Nice office, by the way."  
  
"I really have you to thank for it. If you hadn't flaked, I might have  
actually had some competition. Gavin lasted just over a year." Lilah  
smirked. She folded her hands on her desk. "So, what brings you   
here? Looking for a job?"  
  
Lindsey snorted. "Hardly." He turned from the window to face his  
former rival. She was so much more dangerous to him now. But he   
couldn't let her know it. "You know why I'm here."  
  
"Ah, yes, your happy home. Does the little woman know all about your  
sordid past? Maybe I should stop by for coffee and girl talk."  
  
"You will go no where near her." Lindsey's fists clenched. "Aria  
knows everything anyway."  
  
"You know, I never pictured you as the protective family man." Lilah  
sat back and appraised Lindsey. She had never seen him in anything   
but a suit and tie. Now he wore jeans and a dark grey t-shirt and   
they looked good on him. He could have used a haircut though.  
  
"I've always pictured you as a power hungry bitch." Lindsey crossed   
over to the desk and leaned over it. If he remembered correctly - and  
he always did - invading her personal space unnerved Lilah. "I'm not  
here to take down Wolfram and Hart or join the forces of good or even  
take your job - we both know I could have it - I'm just here to live my  
life with my family. If you do anything to upset that, Lilah, well....  
I still have this evil hand." He placed his hand over her throat. He  
didn't apply pressure, just the threat.  
  
Lilah swallowed compulsively once Lindsey lowered his hand. She hated  
it that Lindsey could still make her afraid of him. She had made it   
to the top floor. He had walked away when it had all been in the palm  
of his hand. "You know I can't promise you anything. If the Senior  
Partners decide that you are a threat...."  
  
"Then convince them I'm not unless I'm provoked. If anyone connected  
to Wolfram and Hart so much as stares at my family I'll go to Angel   
and give him the last scroll. You know, the one that tells him exactly  
who the Senior Partners are and how to kill them." Lindsey stayed long  
enough to watch the blood drain completely from Lilah's face and then  
turned and left. He had made his point.  
  
As Lindsey left the building, he passed the reception desk. Christie  
was flirting with a delivery man. Her eyes were a sparkling blue and  
her smile gleamed brightly as she laughed. Apparently, she had been  
left with enough to present a convincing facade for unsuspecting,   
naive civilians. She waved at Lindsey as he left. It made him feel   
sad. Once the doors swished closed behind him and he was standing in  
the brilliant afternoon sunlight, the sadness left. The confrontation  
with Lilah had exhausted him. Lindsey could only hope that it worked.  
  
*****  
  
It was hard, dirty, slimy work only made more difficult by the fact   
that they didn't have the proper tools. Connor had pried apart the  
metal from a desk and had sharpened it against the basement's brick   
wall. He and Ron used the makeshift knives to carve up the Cellar   
Serpent into more manageable pieces while Pandora searched for the sewer  
entrance Connor knew was down there somewhere.  
  
"Do you remember where it was on the blueprint?" Pandora called from  
across the room. "East side? West?"  
  
"Nope. I just looked to see if there was one in case of emergencies."  
Connor gave one last whack to his piece of the serpent and tossed it  
into a crate they had emptied of books and filled with demon parts. He  
had started at the head while Ron took the tail and they had finally  
met in the middle. Ron tossed his last piece into the crate as well.  
The lubricating slime that had covered the demon spattered them as it  
hit the other parts. Connor grimaced. "Remind me never to do this  
for a living."  
  
"Yeah, it really is just an interesting hobby sort of thing." Ron took  
Connor's piece of metal from him and he put their impromptu carving  
knives into the crate with the chopped up demon. He wiped his hands   
on his jeans. "Find it yet?" he yelled to Pandora.  
  
"No. One would think that if one was planning on using the sewer  
entrance in case of emergencies that one would pinpoint exactly where   
in the basement said entrance was located." Pandora came around a   
crate. Dust caked her hair and clothes, especially in the places   
dotted with serpent slime.   
  
"Yes, one would," Ron agreed. "But since he didn't, let me try a   
little trick my mother taught me to help me find my shoes - for some  
reason it was always the left one." Ron closed his eyes and   
concentrated on the sewer entrance. "Aperio locus!" He opened his  
eyes to a glimmer of gold light in the far corner of the basement.  
  
"Neat trick." Connor started to push the crate toward the soft glow.  
  
"It's called magic. I'm a male witch, you see, so I used magic." Ron  
threw a glance at Pandora as they followed Connor.  
  
"I'm not allowed to use my powers unless it is absolutely necessary."  
Pandora compressed her lips into a disproving line. "What if someone  
had come down here when you were casting the spell? How would you   
have explained it?"  
  
"Probably as well as I would have explained that." Ron waved in the  
direction of the crate chock full of demon.  
  
"Guys, I could use a little help here." Connor stopped in front of the  
sewer entrance. It was evident what role he would have in this troika  
of friendship - referee. "I'll go down first and then you two can   
guide it down to me." Connor jumped down through the manhole and they  
accomplished their task quickly. Once all three of them were in the  
sewer, another problem presented itself.  
  
"So, now what? Do we just leave it here?" Ron scratched his head.  
"It's not like this is a heavy traffic area."  
  
"But it's still too noticeable." Connor looked around. His enhanced  
vampire eyesight saw easily into the shadows. "There's some kind of  
door over there." He hauled the crate the few feet to it.  
  
"It's an overflow pipe. They open it up when there's heavy rains."  
Pandora smiled approvingly at Connor. It was perfect. If the pipe  
was ever opened it would be to let a flood of water through which   
would destroy the crate and carry the remains out into the ocean.  
  
"How does it open?" Ron closely examined the tightly closed door.   
There was no handle, no lock.  
  
"Computer," Pandora answered simply. She was starting to feel   
comfortable with Connor and Ron. They accepted her for who she really  
was. She reached out and stopped Connor from ripping the door open.  
"Don't do that. The computer will register a malfunction and they'll  
send someone down to fix it. Let me try something."  
  
Connor and Ron stood back. Pandora took a few deep breaths. She could  
do this, she had been practicing with her Aunt Paige. "Crate. In   
pipe." A blue light swirled around the crate. It wavered a bit, but  
finally it overwhelmed the crate and it dispersed into tiny lights.  
A flash of blue between the cracks of the door told them that the   
crate had reached its destination. "I did it."  
  
"Yeah. Why didn't you do it before so Connor didn't have to haul it  
all the way down here?"   
  
Pandora blushed. "I don't have a lot of control over my powers yet.  
I can only orb short distances and I need a specific location. If I  
had just tried to orb the demon remains out of the basement, it could  
have ended up anywhere."  
  
"Like Amanda Vespy's desk?" Connor smirked. He didn't know it, but he  
looked an awful lot like his father's soulless counterpart, Angelus,  
at that moment.  
  
Ron laughed. He glanced at his watch. "It looks like we're not going  
to be dealing with her again today. School is almost over."  
  
"What? We missed the whole afternoon!" Pandora let out a weird   
squeaking noise and raced to the sewer entrance, disappearing up into  
the basement.  
  
"Hey, running now won't make you on time," Ron called. He and Connor  
ran after her and finally caught up to her on the stairs.   
  
"I skipped school. I can't believe I skipped school. It's only the  
second day. What are they going to do? Kick us out?"  
  
"Nothing that drastic." Ron caught Pandora's arm before she opened the  
basement door and stepped out into the hall. "They will probably just  
give us detention, but we'll need to get our stories straight. There's  
no way we can tell the truth."  
  
"Are they going to call our parents?"  
  
"Oh, yeah, if they haven't already. And about our parents, are we   
going to share everything with them about today? Because, personally,  
Mom will freak and we'll be moving again."  
  
"My parents won't like it either. Vampire with a soul who fights evil  
or not, they'll think it's a trap set by the Source." Pandora looked  
apologetically at Connor.  
  
Connor nodded in understanding. He knew all about overprotective   
parents. "I think we should keep this to ourselves. So, what were we  
doing this afternoon?"  
  
Each of them pondered that question for a few minutes, but before they  
could come up with an answer the door opened. "There you are! I've  
been looking all over the school for you three." Ms. Foster stood in  
the doorway. She frowned severely as she ushered them out into the  
hall. "There's only five minutes left of school. What were you doing  
in the basement?"  
  
"I'm sorry, Ms. Foster." Pandora bit her lip. "I felt sick and I, uh,  
had a seizure when I was outside. I got disoriented and ended up   
wandering around the basement. Connor and Ron found me and they were  
helping me."  
  
Ms. Foster's face was immediately etched with worry. "Are you alright,  
dear? Do you need to go to the hospital? Why didn't one of you boys  
come and get a teacher?" She guided the children into their classroom.  
  
"She got upset when one of us started to leave. We thought it would  
be better if we stayed and kept her calm," Connor offered.  
  
"I don't need a hospital, Ms. Foster. My Uncle Cole is supposed to  
pick me up and I'll tell my Mom about the seizure when I get home.  
She'll make an appointment with my specialist." Pandora collected her  
things. "Can we go now? I am really sorry about missing classes this  
afternoon and for making Connor and Ron miss them too."  
  
"You can go. And we won't worry about missing class this time." Ms.  
Foster smiled at Connor and Ron. "Thank you, boys, for helping   
Pandora, but next time I want you to get a teacher."  
  
"Yes, Ma'am." Connor and Ron nodded. They gathered their things and  
all three of them got out of there as fast as they could.  
  
"I can't believe you got us out of detention and she didn't even say  
anything about calling our parents." Ron looked at Pandora with awe.  
Being friends with a girl might not be so bad.  
  
"I can't either. I guess we can thank my parents for telling the  
school that I had a history of seizures just in case I did have a   
vision during class." Pandora smiled wearily. As they spotted their  
rides, they waved good-bye to each other and split up.  
  
*****  
  
The house was spotless, even though they had moved in only a week ago.  
Lindsey knew it was because his wife was worried. Worried about   
Wolfram and Hart and worried about their son. The worry gave her a lot  
of restless energy to work off. "Honey, we're home," Lindsey called  
out the cliched greeting. He winked at Ron, who grinned back at him.  
  
"Yeah, Mom, we both made it home alive."  
  
"That is not funny, Ron Weasley." Aria MacDonald walked from the   
kitchen to the front room. She was a pretty woman with dirty blond  
hair and light green eyes. At least that was what the world saw.   
Lindsey and her son, Ron, saw her real self. A beautiful woman with  
red hair and darker emerald green eyes who was once known as Willow  
Rosenberg. With the appearance glamor in place, her own parents   
wouldn't have been able to recognize her and that was the way Willow  
wanted it. "There's a snack for you in the kitchen."  
  
"Okay. Can I play a game on your laptop?"  
  
"Go for it." Willow smiled indulgently as her son dropped his school  
bag on the floor and rushed into the kitchen. She turned back to her  
husband and gave him a welcome home kiss. "How did it go today?"  
  
"Fine. I confronted Lilah, told her to leave us alone. Threatened her  
life if she didn't." Lindsey sat down on the couch. He ran his hand  
through his hair.  
  
"I'm sorry." Willow sat down beside him. She reached over and rubbed  
the back of his neck soothingly. She knew how much it was costing him  
to drudge up the person he used to be. "Maybe we shouldn't have moved  
here."  
  
"No, it was the right decision despite the complications. We have to  
face up to our pasts, Willow, so Ron can have a future." Lindsey took  
Willow's hand from his neck and held it. "You have to contact Angel.  
If I can't protect you and Ron then he can."  
  
Willow was already shaking her head. "No, I can't. I can't put my   
friends in danger again because of my stupid mistakes." She pulled her  
hand from Lindsey's grasp and stood up. "They probably hate me   
anyway after what I did to Dawn and Buffy. Dawn could have died and  
Buffy was pulled out of Heaven because of me."  
  
"I can't see how these people who call themselves your friends could  
hate you. Explain to them what's going on. You haven't done anything  
evil, Willow. Trust me, I know evil." Lindsey stood up and caught  
Willow's shoulders. He tilted her chin up and smiled at her. "At the  
very least, Angel will help you because it's his job."  
  
"Yeah. I'll explain to Angel how I've been living with the man whose  
hand he cut off for the last ten years. That will go a long way   
toward convincing him of my non-evil ways." Willow quirked a smile  
back at Lindsey. She stood up on her tiptoes and pressed a quick peck  
to his lips. "Let's not fight about this today, we'll pick it up   
tomorrow when you're less stressed."  
  
"Okay." Lindsey let Willow lead him to the kitchen. "How's the new  
computer game coming?"  
  
"Great, I had a breakthrough today and it's almost finished." Willow  
chattered easily about her work, but she was still worried. Her son  
was in danger from his biological father on a daily basis - that was  
nothing new - but now the man she called her husband was in danger  
from his old life. She wished she could go to Angel, but she couldn't  
stand to see the closed off expression on his face as she told her  
story. The disappointment. She didn't want Angel to help her because  
it was his job. She wanted him to help her because she was his friend,  
but that wouldn't happen. Rack had made sure that she had no friends.  
At least she had Lindsey and Ron.  
  
To be continued.... 


	5. Chapter Four

Part Four  
  
Family dinners were a tradition in the Halliwell home. At least once a  
week, they made a point of having the whole family together for a meal.  
Piper would cook something that was someone's favorite food and they   
would all gather together and discuss the family business of demon  
hunting and any other issues that had come up. There were always   
issues when three adult sisters and two of their significant others  
lived in the same house.  
  
"So, Pan, how was school today?" Piper cast a guarded look at Phoebe  
and Cole. They were studiously ignoring each other and the tension at  
the table was palatable. She definitely did not want to start the  
dinner with their issues. Piper passed the mashed potatoes to her   
daughter. "Did you make any new friends?"  
  
Pandora scooped some potatoes onto her plate as she considered her  
answer. She had never lied to her parents before. She had never   
really lied to anyone before. It would probably be best to start by  
omission. "Yeah, I did." Pandora bit her lip and passed the ceramic  
bowl with red stripes to her Aunt Paige. "I had a premonition today  
about this girl. She was in the basement and she was in danger. I  
went down there to check it out and she went back upstairs and nothing  
happened to her. These boys had seen me when I was having the   
premonition and they found me in the basement and I pretended that I  
was upset and sick and they helped me. I told the teacher that it was   
a seizure and I was under the care of a specialist. I missed my   
afternoon classes." Pandora finally took a breath. She looked up.  
  
Five adults were staring at her. "Well," Paige said from beside her,  
offering Pandora a quirky smile, "It sounds like an interesting  
second day of school. Who are these new friends you made today? The  
girl you saved from possible impending danger or the boys who helped  
you?"  
  
"The boys. Connor and Ron. They're new too."  
  
"Did they think there was anything strange about your 'seizure?'"   
Piper asked carefully. Her daughter was alienated enough - with the  
premonitions, the powers, the expectations of the Elders - she didn't  
need her mother making her feel like a freak too.  
  
"No, they didn't think it was strange at all." Technically, it wasn't  
a lie. Connor and Ron thought premonitions, magic, and battling large  
serpentine demons was perfectly normal.  
  
"It's a good thing we notified the school of your medical history of  
'seizures' then." At her father's smile, Pandora's guilt intensified.  
She didn't say anything though. For the first time in her life, she  
had something apart from her family. As guilty as lying made her feel,  
the surge of independence Pandora was experiencing was too fulfilling  
to give up.  
  
*****  
  
There was no milk and cookies waiting for Connor when he got home from  
his second day of school. The office was quiet as each of the adults,  
except for Cordelia who had picked him up, was engrossed in their   
research. Fred was busy on the computer, her hair done up in its  
usual loose, curly ponytail and the neural pads that connected her to  
the computer and internet were secured to her temples. They still had  
the older model computer with the screen and the temporary neural pads.  
No one in the office had went for neural implants for the simple   
reason that they did not need Wolfram and Hart attempting to hack into  
any of the AI team's brains. Wesley and Fred both suspected that the  
law firm often used the neural net to influence judges and jurists to  
their clients' advantage.  
  
"Mom, what's going on?" Connor looked up at his mother as Wesley walked  
past them, muttering to himself. He didn't look up from his book.  
Whatever was going on, Connor knew it was important, because even   
Uncle Gunn and Uncle Lorne were pitching in with research.   
  
"We've started the search for your Aunt Willow again. We've got some  
new information and she might be in trouble." Cordelia took off her  
jacket and walked over to Angel's desk. He was sitting with his elbows  
on the desk, his head in his hands. Willow's letters were spread out  
in front of him. "Angel, we're home. Any luck?"  
  
Angel looked up and smiled wearily. He rubbed his hand through his  
hair. "Hey. The letters aren't telling me anything about where she  
was when she wrote them. She doesn't drop any hints - nothing about   
the weather, what she's doing, friends - and if you read between the  
lines, the only thing you know is that she's not fine. She's alone and  
very scared. I never should have given up looking for her."  
  
"You'll find her, Dad, and when you do I can finally thank her for all  
the cool presents she's sent me." Connor eyed the old, mysterious  
books on the office shelves with anticipation. He was only allowed to  
look at them under strict supervision and certain conditions. He was  
also only allowed to look at the ones deemed 'safe' by his parents.  
"Can I help?"  
  
"No." Cordelia nixed the hopeful gleam in her son's eyes before Angel  
could. She ruffled his hair as a consolation prize. "Now that you're  
a school-faring boy, you have homework to do."  
  
"Uh, yeah." Connor looked down at his feet. He had to tell them   
something, Ms. Foster would probably mention how he missed a whole  
afternoon of classes eventually. "Something happened today."  
  
"What! Why didn't you say something right away?" Cordelia grabbed  
Connor by his arms. She frantically searched his limbs for broken   
bones while she looked for any visible bumps or bruises. "Are you  
okay, honey? Who hurt you?"  
  
While Cordelia reassured herself that Connor was in one piece, Angel's  
eyes flashed yellow and he let out a low growl. "Were you attacked?"  
  
"No, no, nothing like that." Connor shook his head vehemently and  
struggled out of Cordelia's grasp. They had made a wise decision when  
he, Pandora, and Ron had agreed not to tell their parents about the   
Cellar Serpent or their mutual supernaturalness. His parents were  
freaking out and he hadn't even said anything yet. "I'm fine. That   
girl I told you about yesterday, Pandora, she had a seizure at lunch."  
  
"Is she okay?" Cordelia managed to ask as she sat down in an office  
chair. Her heart was thumping madly. Now that she knew Connor wasn't  
in immediate danger or hurt, it was starting to slow a bit.   
  
"She's fine. She was a bit disoriented after and Ron and I found her  
wandering in the basement. She got upset if one of us tried to leave,  
so we stayed with her until she felt better and we all missed   
afternoon classes."  
  
"Did you explain everything to your teacher?" Cordelia asked. Her  
heart was back to its normal rhythm, but she was still shaky. She   
didn't know what she would do if anything happened to Connor.  
  
"Yeah, she said we weren't in any trouble and if it happens again we  
should get a teacher."  
  
"Thank you for telling us. You should get to your homework now."   
Angel watched his son leave the office. He was relieved that Connor  
was okay and proud that his son had helped out a classmate. A female  
classmate. Angel frowned, remembering the conversation he and Gunn  
had before Anya's visit. "Cordelia, do you think I should have the,  
uh, birds and bees talk with Connor? He seems to like this Pandora  
girl a lot."  
  
"Angel, they're eleven." Cordelia rolled her eyes. "I know back in  
your day they were marrying off kids at the age of thirteen, but we  
don't do that anymore."  
  
"I'm not that old. Girls were around sixteen or seventeen when they  
got married when I was human."  
  
"Wow, I never realized that you were an old maid, Angel." Cordelia  
smirked at his scandalized expression. She decided to take pity on  
him and return to the subject at hand. "Don't worry, Angel, I gave  
Connor the technical details when he asked where babies come from when  
he was eight. That was when Xander and Anya came to visit and she was  
pregnant with Brenden, remember. I told him it was a physical   
expression of love between two adults, but I guess if you want to you   
can give him the guy sex talk. Doesn't that just consist of you   
clearing your throat awkwardly a lot and then slapping him on the back  
after handing him a Playboy? I really think you should wait until   
Connor is fifteen or sixteen for that. Actually, I would appreciate it  
if you would...."  
  
"Jumping Jehosphat!" Angel was saved from the rest of Cordelia's   
harangue by Lorne's yell. The green-skinned reader demon walked into  
the office, his red eyes blazing with excitement. "Why didn't you  
tell me you had tracked the little witch to Milwaukee? I got a contact  
there."  
  
"You know someone from Milwaukee?" Angel couldn't keep the disbelief  
out of his voice. "You've been to Milwaukee?"  
  
"I know I give the impression of a horrible homebody, but I have   
traveled a bit. It's a long story, but the gist is I was headed to  
New York under the misguided notion that the bright lights of Broadway  
were calling my name. Unfortunately, I accepted a ride with a Travois  
demon - they specialize in road trips being nomadic demons - but the  
funny thing about Travois demons is that...."  
  
"Lorne, make it a shorter story." Angel stood up. He took the file  
from Lorne's hands. A photograph of Willow with Buffy, Anya, and   
Dawn was paper clipped in front. It had been the most recent picture  
Xander had taken of 'his girls' and he had sent it to Angel when they   
had begun their search for Willow all those years ago. It had been  
taken a few days after Buffy's resurrection, all four girls were   
smiling, but Anya was the only one who was happy. Beneath the three  
other smiles, Buffy looked empty, Dawn looked scared, and Willow looked  
sad. Even then she had been sad.  
  
"Travois demons have a terrible sense of direction, we took a wrong  
turn and ended up in Milwaukee. That's where I met Tanya, she's a  
Dispero demon. She helps people and demons find their direction in  
life and if need be, she helps them find a new life. She told me to  
hightail my sweet hinny back to L. A....."  
  
"Your friend helped Willow disappear," Angel interrupted Lorne. He  
walked back to the desk and set down the file. He picked up the phone.  
"Call her. Find out where she helped Willow disappear to."  
  
"It won't be that easy, Angel-cakes."  
  
"Make it that easy. Please." Angel held out the phone.  
  
*****  
  
It was moments like this that Willow treasured. Ron was at the kitchen  
table doing his homework. Lindsey was helping her with the dishes.   
It was all so normal. It was like they had lived here as a family   
forever instead of gallivanting across the country like the fugitives   
they were. She wished she had never met Rack, but then she wouldn't   
have Ron and he was the most important thing in her life. She had   
never loved anyone as completely as she loved her little boy. He was   
nothing like his father. Willow shivered as Rack's face popped into   
her mind. She hated thinking about him. She always had this paranoid   
notion that he knew when she was thinking about him and could use it   
to track her and Ron.   
  
"Are you okay?" Lindsey's voice calmed her fears a bit. Willow had  
just begun thinking of him by that name. Before he had always been  
Mac, her friend and savior. When they had decided to move to L. A.  
when Mac had gotten a record deal, he had insisted that he go back as  
Lindsey MacDonald. His stage name was still Mac MacDonald, but he  
wanted his family and friends to call him Lindsey again. He said he  
wanted to reclaim his name from evil. He wanted to be able to   
introduce himself as Lindsey MacDonald and be proud. Willow was proud  
of him. He was a great man.  
  
"I'm fine." Willow smiled up at him. She took the last plate from  
the sink and handed it to Lindsey. He put it away in the cupboard  
while she shut off the sonic pulses that blasted the food and germs  
from the dishes.   
  
"Really?" Lindsey could tell Willow was preoccupied. With what, he  
could only guess. Being in the same city as Angel and being so close  
to Sunnydale was probably unnerving her. He knew being so close to  
Wolfram and Hart and the evil that he once was a part of was   
unsettling for him. Lindsey wished that Willow would confront her old  
friends as he had confronted Lilah. That way he could give that self  
righteous, hypocritical vampire a piece of his mind. Rack had taken  
advantage of Willow and her friends had turned away from her on his  
word. But Lindsey couldn't very well tell Angel any of that or give  
him the sucker punch he deserved if Willow refused to come forward and  
continued to hide from them.  
  
"Yes, really." Willow laughed softly. She reached up and gave Lindsey  
a peck on the cheek. "Don't be such a worry wart, Mac - I mean,   
Lindsey. I won't hide forever, I promise. I just need a little more  
time." She let Lindsey gather her in his arms for a comforting hug  
before she pulled away. If she stayed in his warm embrace she would  
cry. "Ron, how's the homework coming?"  
  
"Okay. I'm almost finished." Ron's nose stayed buried in his grammar  
text.  
  
"Wow, this is a lot of homework for the second day," Lindsey commented  
as he and Willow joined their son at the table. He picked up one of   
the books. "They're driving you hard at this school."  
  
The time had come. Ron had been waiting for an opportunity to mention  
what had happened that afternoon to his parents and it had finally  
come up. He fiddled with his pencil and set his book down to face   
them. "I kind of have to catch up because I missed classes this  
afternoon."  
  
"You skipped school?" Willow couldn't believe it. She knew that Ron  
was more daring and confident than she had been at his age, but she  
had thought she had instilled in him a sense of responsibility. Maybe  
this unstable lifestyle with all the moving around had made her son  
into some kind of delinquent.  
  
"No, not intentionally." Ron unknowingly put a halt to the visions of  
him hanging out in alleys and smoking that were running through his   
mother's mind. "You remember Pandora, the girl I told you about   
yesterday? She's new too and so is Connor...."  
  
"Connor?" Willow interrupted. Connor was the name of Angel's son.   
She saw Ron nod as he went on with the rest of his story. This Connor  
he was talking about couldn't be Angel's son, he was some other boy  
with the same name. She was being silly, what would Angel's son be  
doing at a Catholic school? But the same question could be asked about  
her son. Willow listened with half an ear as Ron explained about  
Pandora's seizure and disorientation. Her son's new friend couldn't   
be Angel's son. Connor's life was in constant danger from various   
vampire cults and demons. There was no way that Angel would let the  
boy out of his sight and away from his protection. No, Ron's friend  
was a different Connor. Not Angel's son.  
  
*****  
  
It was an unconventional meeting place, but ever since they had killed  
the Silear Nathair and discovered that they weren't alone in hiding  
their real selves, the basement had become comfortable. The hidden  
stash of heavy metal music had disappeared, so they didn't have to  
worry about the girl Pandora had saved from coming back. It had   
become a habit for Pandora, Connor, and Ron to bring their lunches   
to the basement and spend the lunch hour there instead of in the  
cafeteria or outside in the courtyard. It gave Pandora a brief respite  
from Amanda's taunting and the guys a chance to show off their   
respective powers.  
  
"Cool!" Ron looked on with envy as Connor twisted a metal bar with the  
ease of someone wringing a towel.  
  
"It's just strength." Connor shrugged and set the bar down. "You   
can do magic," he pointed out.  
  
"That's right. I am a male witch." Ron grinned. He waved his hand  
and the book in Pandora's hand jerked out of her grasp and floated   
high in air.  
  
"Ron, you shouldn't be using you powers and neither should you,   
Connor." Pandora frowned disapprovingly at them. She held out her  
hand. "Give it back."  
  
"You're a witch. Take it." Ron floated the book even higher. "Come  
on, Dory, you know you're dying to show us what you can do. Think of  
it as practice."  
  
"Ron." Pandora stood up. She reached up toward the book. "I don't   
have complete control over my powers like you. I could blow it up."  
  
"Then I owe you a history book. Try it."  
  
"Yeah, Dory, you can do it," Connor offered encouragement.  
  
Pandora bit her lip. She gestured toward the book and it froze in  
place. "Damn," she muttered. "Bring it down, please."  
  
"Okay." Ron waved his hand. The book didn't move. "Oops. I can't  
move it with your freezing spell on it."  
  
"Great. What are we going to do if someone comes down here? How are  
we going to explain a book frozen in mid-air?"  
  
"Don't be so paranoid, Dory. No one ever comes down here."  
  
Connor laughed as his friends launched into an argument that had become  
very familiar over the last three weeks. Ron was always showing off  
his powers and Pandora always scolded him about getting caught. The  
argument always ended in a good natured stalemate, so Connor usually  
stayed out of it until they were finished. He didn't know that much  
about magic and its practice. His Aunt Willow was a witch and all  
discussions of magic had been a sore subject around his home because it  
brought back memories of her. It was especially touchy now because  
his family was hitting nothing but dead ends trying to find her. Out  
of curiosity, Connor interrupted his arguing friends to ask, "Ron,  
aren't you a warlock?"  
  
In the resounding silence that followed Connor's question, the freezing  
spell ended and the book dropped to the cement floor with a loud bang.  
Ron was white, his orange freckles standing out like speckles on an  
egg. Pandora shivered. Finally, she took pity on their new friend.  
"Warlocks are evil, Connor. They steal witches' powers. Ron is a  
male witch."  
  
"Oh." For the first time in his young life, Connor felt a fear that  
had nothing to do with death. He was afraid that he had lost his best  
friend because he had asked a stupid question. "I'm sorry, Ron. I  
didn't know...I didn't mean...."  
  
"I know." Ron swallowed and offered his friends a weak smile. "It's  
okay. It's a common mistake, like thinking I'm a wizard."  
  
"Of course it is. Let's get back to class. We wouldn't want to be   
late." Pandora herded them both to the stairs.  
  
"You guys are still coming to my place after school, right?" Connor  
hoped he hadn't messed things up. They had just decided to take the  
next step in their friendship and spend time together after school at  
each others' homes. They had decided on Connor's first because neither  
Pandora or Ron had ever met a real vampire before, not that Connor's  
Dad would realize that fact. When he had asked his Mom and Dad if his  
friends could come over to visit, they had been so excited. He would  
hate to disappoint them and himself.  
  
"That's the plan." Ron shook off his shock. It was just a question.  
Connor hadn't been accusing him of anything, just asking a question.  
"Hey, Dory, you forgot your book." Ron turned to get it, but it   
dissolved in a swirl of blue light and ended up in Pandora's hand.  
"Excuse me, Pandora Halliwell, but what would you have done if someone  
had saw that? How would you have explained yourself?"  
  
"Ron's right." Connor shook his head gravely. "You really shouldn't   
flaunt your powers like that, Dory."  
  
"Shut up." Pandora tossed her hair and walked ahead of them.  
  
*****  
  
The little snot monsters had finally vacated the building. Lilah   
walked carefully down the middle of the hallway, there was no way she  
was going to get any kid-ick on her new suit. It was an original   
Charlemagne. She stopped at a classroom that had a young, pretty   
teacher sitting at a desk correcting homework.  
  
"Hello." Lilah walked into the room and stood in front of the desk.  
"I'm here to check on the progress of my Godson."  
  
"Connor Chase is doing very well. He has fit in effortlessly with the  
other children. He displays an eagerness to learn, a concern for the  
welfare of his fellow class-mates, as well as super-strength. He has  
befriended a witch and a male witch and the three of them killed the  
Silear Nathair that dwelled in the basement." Lana Foster set the   
twisted bar she had retrieved from the basement on her desk. She   
looked up at Lilah, her eyes twin pits of blackness. "Is there any  
more information that you require, Ms. Morgan?"  
  
"Not at the moment, but keep your eyes open. I will need every little  
detail about my precious Godson." Lilah opened her briefcase. She  
took out an orange piece of paper with black lettering announcing  
'Parent/Teacher Night.' "First, I have a task for you to perform.   
Make sure Angel gets this."  
  
To be continued.... 


	6. Chapter Five

Part Five  
  
The Art of Decapitation. The title stared up at Cordelia from the  
book laying casually on an end table in the hotel's lobby. She picked  
it up and carried it to the offices. "Wesley, I thought I told you  
to make sure all of your books were locked away." She held out the  
offending object.  
  
Wesley glanced at the title. "That's Angel's." He took the book   
anyway and locked it away in a glassed cabinet with the other  
paranormal books and scrolls that Angel Investigations owned.  
  
Cordelia spun on her heel and turned her disproving glare on the  
vampire. "Angel! You know that Connor is bringing his friends home  
to visit today. Why would you leave that book laying around? Don't  
you want your son to be normal? We have to be normal. And perfect.  
This is very important. I can't believe you!" Cordelia moved on to  
rearranging things, making sure everything looked 'normal' and   
'perfect.'  
  
As they watched Cordelia whip herself into a nervous frenzy, Fred   
leaned across her desk toward Gunn. "I think Cordelia needs a   
vacation."  
  
"She does need to chill." Gunn nodded his head in agreement. Both of  
them ducked their heads and pretended to be working when Cordelia's  
gaze sharpened on them. The sound of the front door opening and Connor  
calling out saved them from further scrutiny.   
  
"They're here." Cordelia straightened her clothing and headed for the  
office door that led out into the lobby. Before walking through,  
she whirled around with her finger raised in warning. "Okay, everyone,  
be normal!" Then she swept out into the lobby.  
  
"Well, you heard her." Angel shrugged. He stood up and followed   
Cordelia out of the office. He was anxious to meet his son's friends  
and give a 'normal' impression too, he just wasn't nuts like his Seer.  
  
"Hey, Mom, Dad. These are my friends, Pandora and Ron." Connor waved  
in each person's direction as an introduction. "And that's my Uncle  
Wesley, Aunt Fred, and Uncle Gunn."  
  
"It's so nice to finally meet you, kids." Cordelia beamed. "How was  
school? Would you like a snack?"  
  
"No, thank you, Mrs. Chase," Pandora smiled. Connor's parents were  
really nice. She knew that his father was a vampire and his mother was  
a Seer, but they both looked so normal. But then she grew up in a   
house with three witches who were the Charmed Ones, a white-lighter,  
and an ex-demon. She wasn't exactly an expert on normal. "School was  
interesting."  
  
"Only if you define interesting as staring at a board while the teacher  
drones semi-useful information," Ron cut in.   
  
Pandora threw Ron an exasperated look. "Don't be rude," she hissed   
under her breath, but Angel caught it and he suppressed a smile. He  
liked these kids. Ron seemed to be fun and easy-going - something that  
his son sorely needed in his life - and Angel had confidence that   
Pandora was more than capable of keeping the boys in line.  
  
"Angel," a whispered voice cam from the staircase. It was Lorne and   
with the children's presence he could hardly walk out into the open.  
Not without shattering Cordelia's illusion of normalcy. "Angel, I   
need to see you and the rest of the crew. We have a visitor."  
  
Angel made a motioning gesture toward the office behind his back and   
turned his attention back to the kids. His gaze met Connor's concerned  
look. Luckily, his son had inherited his keen sense of hearing. "I'm  
going to show Ron and Dory the courtyard." Connor ushered his friends  
out the door.  
  
"Lorne needs to see us." Angel led the way back into the office where  
Lorne was standing next to a squat, grey blur. The most distinguishing  
feature of a Dispero demon was their complete lack of distinguishing   
features - or any features.  
  
"This is Tanya, the friend I was telling you about. She handled your  
friend's disappearing act." Lorne frowned at his blurry friend.   
"Don't look at me like that, Tanya, there are extenuating   
circumstances. Now, tell them where you stashed the girl."  
  
"I can't do that. Demon/client privilege." The voice was high  
pitched in a feminine manner. "How do I know your friends aren't the  
people she was running from?"  
  
"Because we're her friends." Cordelia went over to Angel's desk and   
rifled through it until she produced an envelope. She brought it to  
Tanya and held it out. "She writes to us to let us know she's okay."  
  
"We think she's still in trouble," Angel added. "She shouldn't be  
alone. She needs her friends. Us."   
  
Tanya didn't take the offered letter of proof. Her form clouded in a   
darker shade of grey. "I can't go around telling people where my  
clients have disappeared to. It'll ruin my business. Besides, if   
she's a smart person she would have disappeared again on her own using  
non-magical means. I advised her to use the identity I have her only   
until she had established another one."  
  
"Perhaps we could track her once you've given us the identity you  
supplied Miss Rosenberg with." Wesley sat down at the computer. "I  
can assure you Miss...uh, Ma'am, that we will not disclose that you   
were the source of our information."  
  
"And as a private investigation business we get lots of people who   
want to disappear. We could refer them to you," Fred added brightly.  
  
"Alexandria Potter. I sent her to New York, a nice big city to get  
lost in."  
  
"Luckily computers make that especially difficult to do." Wesley   
relayed the information into the neural net. "Alexandria Potter lived  
in Manhattan in 2002 and worked at the Pritchard Theatre Off Broadway  
as a set designer and understudy for the female lead."  
  
"Willow?" Cordelia stood with open-mouthed, incredulous shock. "Our  
Willow worked in a theatre? As an actor! But she had horrible stage  
fright. I remember this one time when we had a talent show that Giles  
was wrangled into directing and that horrible Snyder made Willow,   
Buffy, and Xander participate. She just ran off the stage without   
saying a word."  
  
"She probably thought that no one would look for her there." Angel  
massaged Cordelia's shoulders affectionately. They were so close to   
finding Willow. Then they could bring her back home, she would make a  
great addition to the team. She could stay at the hotel, they had   
plenty of rooms, and Connor could get to know his Aunt Willow.  
  
"She terminated her employment after two months." Wesley frowned and  
mumbled something about death certificates and social security   
applications. "Ah-ha! Two weeks before Alexandria Potter quit her  
job, a Marina Allen applied for a Virginia State driver's licence.  
She fits Miss Rosenberg's description in height and weight. I'll try   
to find the licence photo...Oh, dear."  
  
"What?" Cordelia leaned forward, but she couldn't see the computer  
screen. Wesley had that reluctant look on his face, the one he got   
when he had information he knew no one wanted to hear. "Did she change  
identities again? Have we hit another dead end?"  
  
"Well, uh..." Wesley went through some of his stalling motions -   
rubbing his forehead, adjusting and cleaning his glasses, clearing his  
throat.   
  
"Cut it out, Wesley, and just tell us!" Cordelia tensed under Angel's  
hands.  
  
"There was a car accident, it was raining and the police believe that  
weather conditions contributed to the accident. The car careened off  
an embankment and exploded. Marina Allen died on March 23rd, 2003."  
  
"No." Cordelia shook her head. The envelope crumpled in her hand.  
"Willow can't be dead."  
  
"She isn't." Angel took the envelope from Cordelia's hand. "You've got  
the wrong person, Wes. Willow has been sending us letters and Connor  
packages for the past eleven years."  
  
"That's part of the service." Tanya's shape had turned a misty white.  
"Your friend paid for ten years, but I threw in the extra year because  
I liked her and I had the extra paper. The last package and letter   
you got were the final ones."  
  
"They're written in Willow's handwriting." Angel took the letter from  
the envelope and unfolded it. He read it once more even though he  
knew it by heart. "It's her cadence...the way she babbles and  
switches subjects...the nonsequitors...This letter is Willow."  
  
Wisps of darkness threaded through the white mist of Tanya's form.  
"Of course it is. The paper is bespelled with her essence. You dump  
some ink on it and the words that tell of how she's feeling form. I  
had thought her letters were getting redundant."  
  
"So, the essence in the paper just kept writing the last feelings it  
has received from Miss Rosenberg. The guilt and regret that she felt  
over the events in Sunnydale when she thought about Angel and   
Cordelia." Wesley gave his friends a sympathetic look. "The police  
made a positive identification on the body and included a photo in her  
file." Wesley turned the computer monitor's flat screen so his friends  
could see it. The girl in photo had dark hair and eyes, but it was   
Willow. "I'm sorry."  
  
*****  
  
The address was the same. When Ron had mentioned visiting Connor at  
his house, Willow had requested an address and phone number for the  
boy's parents. When she called a woman named Fred answered - Willow  
vaguely remembered Fred from when she had told Angel about Buffy's  
death. Her son was friends with Angel's son. Willow didn't know if   
she should be happy or nervous. She was happy that her son had a good  
friend and nervous that Angel would be able to use Ron to find her.  
Willow stared out her front window at the sunny California day and  
shivered. As much as she missed her friends, Willow didn't want them  
to know that she had traded her body for black magic. She loved Ron  
and didn't regret having him in her life, but she was ashamed of how  
he was conceived.  
  
"Relax, Willow." Lindsey came up behind her and wrapped his arms   
around her waist. He looked out the window over her shoulder to the  
sidewalk outside. "Angel isn't going to come stalking up to our front  
door demanding answers before dragging you back to Sunnydale. For one  
thing, it's the middle of the afternoon and for another, none of them  
knew you were pregnant. There's no way Angel would connect Ron to  
you."  
  
"I know." Willow leaned back in Lindsey's embrace. "I'm being silly.  
I know Angel and Cordelia and Xander and Buffy are going to find out  
about Ron if we want to stop running and have a half-way normal   
existence. They'll also want to know who...who Ron's father is. I  
don't want to see the looks on their faces when I tell them or hear  
what they think of me."  
  
"I think you're a wonderful, beautiful, strong woman." Lindsey ran his  
hands up and down Willow's arms and turned her around to face him.  
"You accepted everything about me and my past and you've never held  
any of it against me. You made one mistake, Willow, and you managed  
to turn it around and raise a great kid. If that stupid vampire, his   
cheerleader seer, and those other idiots you used to know can't see   
that, than their opinion isn't worth caring about."  
  
"You had a lot to do with raising that great kid." Willow smiled up  
at Lindsey. She hugged him closer and rested her head on his chest.  
"I don't know what I would have done without you all these years, Mac.  
Sorry, I mean Lindsey. I have to get used to calling you that."  
  
"I don't mind being called Mac every once in a while as long as it's  
you." Lindsey grinned wickedly. He bent his head and brushed his  
lips along her jawline in a trail of kisses. "You know, my lovely  
wife, we have the house to ourselves...."  
  
"But not for long." Willow sighed and pulled away. "I have to pick   
Ron up at Angel's."  
  
Lindsey noted how Willow tensed up and lost her smile. She wasn't   
ready to confront her past face to face as he had done with Lilah.  
"I'll do it. I have to talk to Angel."  
  
"Why? So, he can rip your throat out? He hates you." Willow's eyes  
widened in alarm and she clutched onto Lindsey's arm. She was dreading  
seeing Angel and Cordelia, but with the glamor in place it was doubtful  
that they would know it was her. Lindsey wouldn't have that safety  
net. Angel would recognize him as enemy right away and see him as a  
threat to Connor.  
  
"He wouldn't do that - at least not in front of the kids." Lindsey  
pressed his lips to Willow's forehead. "Angel's going to find out I'm  
back in L. A. eventually and that Ron is my son. It might as well be  
sooner than later and come from me. It'll be okay." He gave her a  
reassuring smile and a wink.  
  
"If you say so. Just make sure to duck if he takes a swing at you."  
Willow kissed Lindsey good-bye. She sighed again as she watched him  
get into the car and drive off. Angel would know everything soon   
enough and she just hoped that he would still consider her a friend.  
Even more she hoped that he would allow their sons' budding friendship  
to continue. Ron needed friends now and he would definitely need them  
when his father found them.  
  
*****  
  
The children were still outside in the courtyard. Connor and Ron were  
tossing a football back and forth while Pandora sat in the grass   
reading a book. The sun shone brightly down on them as they played.  
Connor caught the ball and glanced back at Pandora. He chucked the   
ball into her lap. Pandora put her book down and stood up, her hands  
on her hips and a frown on her face. The boys just laughed and   
encouraged her to throw it back at them.  
  
A strangled sob broke free from Cordelia as she watched the serene   
scene from the window. She sensed Angel's presence as he came up to  
stand behind her, not getting too close because of the window. "I used  
to do this a lot when I was younger - watched three children play   
together. I used to wish on every star I could find every night that  
I could be friends with Willow, Xander, and Jesse. They had so much  
fun, but my mother said good little girls didn't rough-house with boys.  
I had too much breeding to lower myself to their level." Tears fell  
freely from Cordelia's eyes, blurring her vision. She turned into   
Angel's embrace. "She can't be dead, Angel. Willow...she can't have  
died alone...afraid. She thought we hated her. How am I going to   
tell Xander?"  
  
Angel closed his eyes and swallowed his own tears. His arms tightened  
around Cordelia to help quell her violent sobs. "She's in a place now  
where she knows we never felt that way. Willow is safe and loved   
wherever she is because that's what she deserves." The words were  
meant to comfort Cordelia and Angel sincerely hoped they did because  
they were hollow to him. Willow had died alone and afraid and she   
didn't deserve that. Whoever had made her run away from her friends  
and disappear from their lives was going to pay. Willow may be dead,  
but he wasn't going to give up on the search to find out what had   
happened. Why she had left and why she hadn't come to him for help.  
  
"Did Lorne or Wesley find anything out about that warlock, Rack?"   
Cordelia stepped out of Angel's arms and wiped her eyes. "He's the one  
who turned Buffy and the others against her and why she disappeared."  
  
"We got sidetracked by the Dispero demon. Don't worry, Cordelia, we'll  
find him." And send him straight to hell. Angel clenched his fists   
and wished he had something to hit.  
  
"Angel!" Gunn's shout came from the front lobby. "We've got company."  
  
The children were still outside, they didn't seem to have heard Gunn.  
Angel led the way into the lobby. Gunn stood by the front door,  
holding the sharp side of a battle axe under Lindsey MacDonald's chin.  
Fred hovered in the door way of the office. "I should have wished for  
a million dollars while I had the chance," Angel muttered and strode   
forward. "Cordy, make sure the kids stay outside."  
  
"Actually, Miss Chase, could you get Ron for me please." Lindsey spoke  
carefully, mindful of the blade against his skin. He shot a look at  
Gunn. "Do you mind removing that before my son sees it."  
  
"Your son?" Cordelia moved forward instead of leaving the room to get  
the children. "Ron is not your son."  
  
"You're right. He's not my son biologically. My wife and I adopted   
him after his mother was killed in an accident."  
  
A tap on the door drew everyone's attention. Gunn quickly stepped back  
and brought the axe down to his side as the door opened and a woman  
with pale skin and dark black hair walked in. "Hi, I'm Paige Matthews  
Halliwell. I'm supposed to pick up my niece, Pandora."  
  
"Oh, yes, the kids are just outside." Cordelia stepped forward and  
shook Paige's hand. "I'm Connor's mother, Cordelia, and this is his  
father, Angel."  
  
"Nice to meet you. Piper would have come, but she had a business  
emergency." Paige glanced around the room until her eyes fell on Gunn.  
"Nice axe."  
  
"I'll go get the kids," Angel volunteered. "Why don't you come with   
me, Lindsey. We'll catch up on old times." Once they were out of   
sight, Angel grabbed Lindsey by the throat and slammed him up against  
the wall. Outside, they could hear the children shouting and laughing.  
"If you touch my son, I will kill you in the slowest, most painful way  
possible, you bastard." Angel let his demonic features show to make   
his point. "I thought I made it very clear to Wolfram and Hart that  
Connor was off limits in their evil games."  
  
"I don't work for Wolfram and Hart. I quit, remember?" Lindsey   
reached up and pried Angel's fingers from his throat. He knew Willow  
would fuss over his bruises once they started to appear. "I don't   
want to hurt your son, Angel, I'm a father too. I have a family. A  
family I want to protect and I need your help."  
  
"What makes you think I'll help you? I've helped you enough." Angel  
slipped into his human face and stepped back. If this was a Wolfram   
and Hart trick....  
  
"This isn't for me. I need you to promise to protect my family if   
Wolfram and Hart decide that it's safer for them to have me dead. I   
need you to keep my wife and son safe from Lilah."  
  
Lindsey's heartbeat was steady and he maintained eye contact. Angel   
was fairly certain that he was telling the truth. Ron was his son -  
not biologically - and he wasn't working for Wolfram and Hart, but   
still....Lindsey had spent too much time switching sides for Angel to  
just trust him.  
  
"Dad," Connor called as they trooped inside. "Can we..."  
  
"Hi, Dad, is it time to go home already?" Ron grinned. "Is Mom in a  
full-fledged panic attack?"  
  
"Your Mom is fine." Lindsey ruffled his son's hair. He glanced at  
Angel. "She's overprotective - worries a lot about the past."  
  
That did it. Lindsey had obviously gotten an innocent woman and boy   
mixed up in his evil business and now their lives were in danger. "You  
can tell her to stop worrying. Connor's friends are welcome here any   
time. Oh, Pandora, your Aunt Paige is here as well."  
  
"Thanks. See you tomorrow at school, Connor, Ron." Pandora smiled at  
Angel. "Thank you for inviting me to your home, Mr. Chase."  
  
"You're welcome, Pandora." Angel watched Lindsey's eyebrow raise at  
the name Pandora used, but he didn't say anything. Pandora gave a   
last wave to the boys and left to find her aunt.  
  
"Yeah, thanks, Mr. Chase. Are we going home now, Dad?"  
  
"We better, you're mother is waiting." Lindsey ushered Ron back toward  
the lobby. "And if we don't get home soon, she might try cooking   
something."  
  
"Drastic! Connor, man, it's been great, but it's not worth lingering  
on the good-byes if it means I gotta eat something my Mom attempted to  
cook."   
  
"I know the feeling." Connor grinned at his mother. "Bye, Ron."  
Silence descended for a few beats once the door closed behind Ron and  
his father. "I had fun today. It's great having friends come over   
and they thought everything was very normal, Mom. Thanks for letting  
them visit." He gave his mother and father a hug and a kiss, something  
he didn't do very often now that he was older. "I'll do my homework  
now before dinner, like I promised."  
  
Cordelia waited for Connor to disappear upstairs. "Oh, my God! Evil  
Lawyer-Boy has a son. A great son who is our son's best friend.  
Angel, we can't tell Connor to stay away from Ron. He's so happy."  
  
"We're not going to. Ron's a good kid, it's not his fault who his  
father is." Angel sat down heavily in one of the soft lobby chairs.  
The afternoon had been intense and emotionally draining. "Besides,  
Lindsey asked me to protect Ron and his mother."  
  
"What?" Cordelia sat down beside Angel. "And you agreed?"  
  
"Of course. He asked me to protect them if Wolfram and Hart kills him.  
He didn't ask me to protect him. His wife and child have nothing to  
do with what Lindsey was in the past, I can't let them become victims  
of Wolfram and Hart."  
  
"No, you can't." Cordelia sighed. She rubbed her forehead. She felt  
like she used to after a vision - before she had become part demon.  
"I wonder what kind of woman would marry Lindsey MacDonald." 


	7. Chapter Five Continued

"She sounded nice on the phone," Fred offered. "Her name is Aria  
MacDonald. She asked about our business because I answered the phone  
'Angel Investigations' and I told her about this program I'm working on  
that detects and calibrates fluxes in the space/time continuum - so we  
know when a dimensional portal opens, but I didn't tell her that part -  
and she had this really good idea about initializing...." Fred caught  
the familiar uncomprehending looks on her friends faces. She was  
pretty sure Aria MacDonald wouldn't look like that when she talked   
about physics. "Well, it was a real good idea."  
  
"I'm sure it was. Now I can't wait to meet her." Cordelia started to  
smile, but it turned into a grimace as she remembered the unpleasant  
and heartbreaking task that lay ahead of her. "We have to tell Connor  
about Willow. I know he never met her, but she was still a part of his  
life. And I'm going to call Xander and ask him to come to L. A. I  
can't tell him about Willow over the phone."  
  
The sight of Willow hunched over in the lobby waiting for him, her  
tear-stained face and sad eyes staring at the hotel's door, flashed in  
Angel's mind. She had traveled from Sunnydale to tell him of Buffy's  
death in person. She had held him all night and well into the next  
day. She would want Xander to have that same comfort. They needed to  
grieve together. All of them. "You better invite Buffy, Spike, and   
Anya as well. We'll tell them all together."  
  
To be continued.... 


	8. Chapter Six

Part Six  
  
Something was wrong with Connor. Pandora knew it the moment he walked  
into the classroom that morning - it didn't take a psychic vision. He  
shuffled in a slumped in his chair, eyes staring stormily at his   
desktop. Pandora twisted in her seat to face him. "Connor, what's  
wrong?" She hoped that his parents hadn't changed their minds about  
him going to school and have friends.  
  
"My aunt is dead," Connor whispered. It was weird to suddenly miss  
someone he had never known personally. All he knew about his Aunt  
Willow came from the stories his mother and father and sometimes his  
Uncle Xander told.  
  
"I'm so sorry, Connor." Pandora reached out and squeezed Connor's  
hand.  
  
"I, uh, didn't really know her. She was missing and my parents just  
found out that she died a long time ago. They're really upset."  
Connor swallowed hard. Pandora's hand covered his and her fingers  
curled into his palm. It felt nice and comforting.  
  
"Hey, no PDA's allowed, Halliwell," Amanda Vespy hissed from beside   
them. Neither Pandora nor Connor had noticed when she had arrived, but  
she was glaring at them now.  
  
Pandora blushed a deep red and snatched her hand away. She turned to   
face front to stare at the board. Connor wanted to say something to   
her, but he didn't know what to say or how to say it. He also wanted   
to hurt Amanda Vespy. Connor clenched his fists and took a few deep  
breaths. His father had taught him how to control the rage that   
sometimes bubbled up inside of him. It wasn't exactly the yellow-eyed  
fury his father displayed upon occasion, but it still needed to be  
controlled.   
  
"What's going on?" Ron slipped into his seat across from Connor. He  
noted the smug look on Vespy's face and Pandora's distress and   
correctly surmised that the stuck-up snot had been bothering their   
friend again. And Connor was pissed. "You know, Vespy, the next time  
you go to one of those fancy spas you're always bragging about, ask for  
an attitude adjustment. Yours is ugly."  
  
Amanda snorted and her eyes narrowed on Ron. "Like I care about your  
opinion, Weasley. You're as much a freak as she is." She tossed her  
hair over her shoulder and faced forward as Ms. Foster walked into the  
room.  
  
"Good morning, children." As Ms. Foster passed by Connor's desk, she  
paused. "Are you feeling alright, Connor?"  
  
"I'm fine, Ms. Foster." Connor frowned as the teacher passed. He   
didn't really see a reason for her concern - he had calmed down while  
Ron and Amanda traded insults - Pandora looked more upset than he did.  
The only way Ms. Foster could have known that he was upset was by   
listening when he told Pandora about his Aunt Willow. But if she had   
overheard, she would have interfered when Amanda had insulted Pandora.  
That's what teachers did. Connor looked up at Ms. Foster as she smiled  
sweetly at the class. Something wasn't right.  
  
"Now it's very important that your parents get these notices." Connor  
tuned back into Ms. Foster's voice. She was holding up an orange piece  
of paper. The rest were being handed around and when they go to him,  
Connor took one and passed the rest back. A parent/teacher night and   
it was actually at night so his father could go. Connor hated to think  
what Ms. Foster and his parents would discuss, but at least it would be  
a distraction for his parents.  
  
*****  
  
Even though P3 was closed for renovations, it was still a busy place.  
Piper directed a few workers who were 'updating' her club with virtual  
video screens installed on the floors, walls, and ceiling. With these  
screens she could transform her club into anything or anyplace she  
desired. For re-opening night Piper desired an ancient Grecian theme.  
It would be fun.  
  
"Hey, watch it!" Piper snapped as one of the screens slipped a bit in  
the worker's hand. She was totally prepared to freeze him if it was  
necessary. "Those things weren't gifts from the Gods." Piper gave   
them a dark look and then turned her attention to her second problem.  
Phoebe sat at the bar staring at her laptop. Piper approached her   
cautiously and eased onto the stool beside her. "How's it going?"  
  
"Fine." Phoebe attempted a smile, but it fell short of her usual   
lighthearted grin.   
  
"Really." Piper peered around her sister to see the screen. "So you   
just don't know what to tell Hopeless Romantic about her tendency to   
fall for men she's knows are married?"  
  
"Oh, no, I know what to tell her." Phoebe studied her fingers -  
specifically focusing on the ringless left one. "I just don't really  
care right now."  
  
"You and Cole still aren't talking." Piper leaned over and hugged   
her sister. "Oh, Honey, why don't you take the advice you give most  
of your loyal readers - talk to him. Tell him what's bothering you.  
We all know what's bothering him."  
  
"I won't marry him." Phoebe sighed and moved out of her sister's   
comforting embrace. "I can't talk to him, Piper."  
  
"Then talk to me. Why won't you marry Cole? And don't say it's   
because you're not the marrying kind. It's been so long even Paige is  
the marrying kind." Piper smiled when Phoebe laughed a bit. But her  
younger sister didn't answer her question. "Do you still love him?"  
  
"I love him, so much that I can't let him go. But I can't marry him  
either. Every time I think about Cole and marriage, I have this image  
of him being evil and me being evil and...."  
  
"Your children being evil," Piper finished for her. She reached over  
and rubbed Phoebe's shoulder. "Honey, those are just fears. It   
doesn't mean it will happen if you marry Cole."  
  
"I know, but I just can't take that chance."  
  
"Children are a wonderful chance to take."  
  
Phoebe groaned. "Of course you would say that, Piper, Pan is a great  
kid. She has great parents - a father who is a whitelighter and a   
mother who wouldn't know how to be tempted by evil."  
  
"Excuse me?" Piper waved her hand in the air. " Hello, Wendigo and   
Fury remember? Don't put me up on a goody-two shoes pedestal as an  
excuse."  
  
"Those times you were possessed or infected by evil. We both know that  
I have the most passive power because I was evil in my past lives."  
  
"You're not evil in this one." Piper hugged her sister again. Life   
was so much more complicated when you had to deal with demons and evil.  
She dreaded the day that Pandora was old enough for romantic   
entanglements. At least she was making friends and one part of her  
life could be normal. "You have to tell Cole all of this, Phoebe, or  
you might lose him."  
  
"Then he'll think I don't trust him." Phoebe straightened, wiping a  
few tears from her eyes. "And he would be right. I don't trust Cole.  
I don't trust myself. How can I marry him when that's how I feel? If  
I tell him that, Piper, I will lose him."  
  
"Oh, Honey." The front door slammed and Paige clattered down the   
stairs toward them before Piper could say anything else to comfort   
their sister. "Hi, Paige, what brings you here?"  
  
"Lunch." Paige bit her lip. She fiddled with her purse strap as she  
reluctantly met Phoebe's gaze. "And to tell you that Cole's in jail."  
  
*****  
  
It had bugged Connor all morning. Why would Ms. Foster eavesdrop on  
her students - him in particular? Connor had been raised to listen to  
his instincts and so he had observed Ms. Foster closely all morning.  
She hadn't done anything else to raise his suspicions, but they still  
stuck with him. Something wasn't right about her.  
  
"Do either of you sense something 'wrong' about Ms. Foster?" Conner  
ventured the question to his two best friends. They were down in the  
basement for the lunch hour and he figured this was a good a place as  
any to bring the subject up.  
  
"What do you mean?" Ron scratched his head. "Do you think she's a  
demon?"  
  
"I don't know about a demon exactly. She just acts weird. Like this  
morning when she asked if I was okay when it was obviously Dory who was  
upset. And I think she was listening when I told you about my Aunt  
Willow."   
  
"Who?" Ron's eyes widened in shock.   
  
Connor gave him a strange look. "Ms. Foster. I think she was   
listening when I told Dory about my parents finding out that my Aunt  
Willow is dead, but she didn't do anything when Amanda started in on   
us."  
  
"Well, I have noticed that she watches you sometimes, but she's a   
teacher - she watches everyone." Pandora felt her cheeks go a bit  
pink. She hoped Connor didn't think she watched him too. "And now   
that I think about it, she never touches me. I get my premonitions   
from physical contact, only someone who knows that I'm a witch would  
avoid touching me."  
  
"And if she knows you're a witch then she probably knows about me and  
my parents." Connor ran his hand through his hair making it stand up  
in tufts. "Damn, my parents are going to pull me out of school so   
fast when I tell them."  
  
"Why don't I tell my Aunt Phoebe your suspicions first. She gets  
premonitions too and if she comes to parent/teacher night, then Ms.  
Foster will have to shake her hand when they're introduced."  
  
"Okay, that sounds like a good idea. Then I don't have to tell my  
parents until I'm sure. What do you think, Ron?"  
  
Ron had heard his friends talking, but hadn't really listened. He was  
a smart boy - something he had inherited from his mother - and he had  
realized who Connor's parents were - his Mom had told him enough   
stories about them. The only reason he hadn't said anything to Connor  
about their parents' mutual past was because he thought Connor knew  
nothing about his 'Aunt Willow.' Now Ron had a dilemma - should he   
tell his best friend that his Aunt Willow was alive and well or should  
he stay silent and let them grieve for nothing. He knew that his  
mother eventually planned on telling her friends she was back and he  
really didn't want to lie to his first real friends.  
  
"Ron, are you okay?" Pandora touched Ron's shoulder. He was quiet,  
which was unusual for him.  
  
"Yeah, I...uh..." Ron took a deep breath and looked directly at Connor.  
"Your Aunt Willow isn't dead. She's my Mom."  
  
"What?" Connor's face darkened. "This better not be a joke."  
  
"It's not. My Mom used to tell me stories about her childhood in   
Sunnydale and how she and her friends used to slay vampires and demons  
back in highschool - you know the Harvest, Graduation, Glory. Her best  
friend was Xander, Buffy was the Slayer, your Dad the vampire with a  
soul, and you Mom the cheerleader. If something ever happened to her  
and my Dad, I was supposed to go to The Hyperion for help. I would  
have said something before, but I didn't think that you knew about  
her."  
  
"Aunt Willow isn't dead."  
  
"No. She was planning on telling your Mom and Dad she was back, but  
she keeps putting it off. She's afraid they'll hate her."  
  
"But they don't. They were looking for her os they could ask her to  
come back home. Uncle Xander isn't doing too well, the guilt's getting  
to him."  
  
"Then we have to get them together," Pandora insisted. "I'll call my  
Mom and tell her we decided to go to Ron's house after school instead.  
Then, Ron, you can call your Mom and ask her if she can pick us up and  
Connor can pretend that he needs something from home and she'll drive  
us there to pick it up."  
  
"And then what?" Ron wasn't sure about ambushing his mother with her  
friends.   
  
"Well, then we let whatever happens happen. Hopefully, Ron's Mom will  
see that Connor's parents don't hate her and she'll tell them she's   
still alive."  
  
"Okay, but if she doesn't say anything, we can't tell. It has to be  
her decision." Ron waited for Pandora and Connor to nod their  
agreement to his condition before giving his okay for the plan. He   
hoped his mother would thank him for this one day.  
  
*****  
  
Angel was worried about Cordelia. She was sitting at her desk, but she  
wasn't reading a magazine or surfing the 'net or anything else to pass  
the time. She was picking listlessly at imaginary lint on her navy  
blue pants. He walked over and leaned against her desk. "Hey."  
  
"They'll be here soon." Cordelia glanced at the door. "What am I   
supposed to say to Xander? You know your best friend - the one who  
disappeared but managed to send letters, cards, and presents for your  
children - well, she's really been dead for the past ten years. Those  
things, that hope, that you thought came from her were really courtesy  
of your friendly neighborhood Dispero demon."  
  
"There isn't a good way to tell him, Cordy. He's going to hurt."  
  
"He'll want to die." Cordelia rubbed her temples with the heels of her  
hands. She didn't want to do this. She so didn't want to do this.   
The front door opened and the old Sunnydale gang - minus one - was   
reunited. She didn't have a choice.  
  
"Dawn had an exam today so she stayed in Sunnydale. She's looking  
after Brenden and Michelle," Buffy announced. Giles still lived in   
England so there was just Buffy, Xander, Anya, and Spike standing in  
their lobby. Spike settled his duster down around his shoulders, but  
didn't say anything - not even a smirk in Angel's direction. There   
were no cheery greetings or hugs hello. "You have news about Willow."  
  
"Yes, we do. Let's go sit down in the parlor." Angel led the way into  
the room they had converted into a t.v./living room. He waited for  
everyone to get comfortable. Buffy and Spike took seats across the   
sitting area from each other. Xander and Anya settled on the couch.  
Anya sat close to her husband and clutched his arm. Angel perched on  
the arm of Cordelia's chair. "We found a really good lead and tracked  
Willow to a Dispero demon in Milwaukee. Dispero demons help people to  
find new lives. She had set Willow up with an identity in New York -  
Alexandria Potter."  
  
The name brought a smile to Xander's face. "Willow loved the Harry  
Potter books."  
  
"Willow changed her identity again to Marina Allen. We checked her  
driver's licence photo and it's her."  
  
"Then you've found her?" Buffy frowned at Angel and Cordelia. "Is  
she still associating with demons and using black magic? Is that what  
all this 'serious meeting' is all about?"  
  
"Marina Allen - Willow - died in a car accident in 2003." Cordelia  
ignored Buffy and focused on Xander. He was shaking his head.   
Cordelia knew where he would go next. "The letters and presents were  
sent by the Dispero demon using paper enchanted with Willow's essence."  
  
"No, Willow isn't dead." Xander still shook his head. "You're wrong."  
  
"Xander." Buffy moved to Xander's other side and hugged him as Anya  
cried on his other shoulder. "We all loved Willow...."  
  
"Not enough or she wouldn't have left." Xander shook off Buffy and  
Anya and stood up. He paced around the room. "I never should have  
turned my back on her. She's not dead. She's not dead."  
  
It was too much. Cordelia stood up and stopped Xander. She gripped   
his arms. "Xander, I'm sorry. I wish she was alive."  
  
"She's not dead, Cordy," Xander interrupted. Tears glistened in his  
eyes, but an unwavering conviction blazed through the watery haze. "I  
would know. If Willow had died to 2003, I would have felt it and I  
would know she was dead. I would know."  
  
"Xander...."  
  
"Hello?" a female voice called from the lobby. A petite blonde   
woman appeared hesitantly in the doorway. "I'm Aria MacDonald. The  
children wanted...." Her pleasant smile faltered as she looked around  
the room. She swallowed hard. "I'm sorry, I've interrupted." She  
started to back out of the room.  
  
"It's okay." Angel stepped forward. He had never seen this woman   
before, but she seemed familiar. She smelled familiar, but he couldn't  
place why.  
  
"Willow." Xander pulled away from Cordelia. He quickly crossed over  
to the woman and hugged her tightly. "Willow, I knew you weren't dead.  
I knew it. I love you."  
  
For a split second everyone just watched in stunned silence.   
Cordelia's heart broke. Poor Xander. He was crazy with denial and  
grief. "Um, Xander, this is Aria MacDonald, not Willow." Cordelia  
approached them slowly. She touched Xander's shoulder. "Willow is  
dead."  
  
"No," the word escaped Willow's lips before she realized she had   
spoken. They were all here and they thought she was dead. Xander was  
holding her so tightly. He had recognized her despite the glamor. She  
hugged him back. No matter what had happened, she couldn't let her  
friends believe she was dead. Willow gently extracted herself from  
Xander's embrace and smiled at him. "I love you too, Xander, and  
you're right - I'm not dead. My true face shall you see. This is my  
will, so mote it be."  
  
To be continued.... 


	9. Chapter Seven

Part Seven  
  
The adults had gotten quiet. Too quiet. Connor, Ron, and Pandora  
crowded as close to the doorway to the parlor as they could without  
being seen. They had heard the sharp gasps after Willow had spoken her  
spell, but nothing after that. "I'm calling, Dad," Ron whispered. He  
pushed away from the wall and dug into his pocket for his phone. It  
was for in case of emergencies only, but Ron decided this was an  
emergency. He had a nagging feeling that his Mom was going to need  
his Dad's support.  
  
"Do you think we should go in there?" Connor whispered to Pandora   
while Ron made his call. Even with his enhanced hearing he couldn't   
hear anything - which meant nothing was being said. He was getting a   
bit worried.  
  
"Not yet," Pandora whispered back. "We'll stay here and if they start  
arguing or something like that then we'll go in. I think they're all  
just surprised. They did think she was dead."  
  
"My Dad's on his way." Ron rejoined them. "Have they said anything  
yet?" Pandora and Connor shook their heads and the three of them   
settled in to wait.  
  
*****  
  
This was not how Willow pictured making her reappearance in her   
friends' lives. She definitely hadn't wanted to confront them all at  
once, she had hoped for more of a one-on-one situation. And this  
wasn't exactly the reaction she had expected either. She had expected  
yelling, recriminations, and disappointed disgust. Not silence. Of  
course, she hadn't expected them to think she was dead. Willow smiled  
shakily at Xander and was immediately enveloped in his arms again. She  
felt his tears wet on her neck and started to cry herself. Xander  
still loved her.  
  
It was unbelievable. It was incredible. Xander had been right, Willow  
wasn't dead. Angel grinned, his eye catching Cordelia's. She glowed  
with happiness as well. It was amazing and wonderful. Willow was  
back.  
  
"Who are you?" Buffy's accusing voice cut through the air of   
celebration.  
  
"Buffy." Willow released Xander. She wiped at her tears and composed  
herself. "It's me, Willow."  
  
"Really? You introduced yourself as Aria MacDonald not even five  
minutes ago. So, who are you?" Buffy moved with Slayer speed,  
grabbing Willow's wrist and yanking her away from Xander. "Or should I  
ask what are you? What kind of magic trick is this?"  
  
"Buffy!" Angel's hand covered hers. This was Willow, he recognized  
her scent now, but he understood Buffy's suspicions. He wouldn't let  
her hurt Willow though. "Let Willow go."  
  
"You can't believe that this is really Willow? Honestly, Angel, you're  
the one who found the proof that she's dead! First she was one person  
and now she's another and we're just supposed to take her word that  
she's really Willow. Am I the only one who really lives in our world?"  
Buffy's grasp on Willow's wrist tightened and she winced, a gasp of   
pain hissing from her lips.  
  
"Hey!" Ron yelled. He ran into the room and pushed his way between  
Buffy and Willow. "Let her go. You leave my Mom alone." He glared  
at Buffy and Angel. Buffy dropped Willow's wrist and Angel let go of  
Buffy.  
  
"It's okay, Ron, Buffy was just surprised to see me." Willow rubbed  
her wrist. She petted her son's hair. "This is my son, Ron. Ron   
these are my friends - the ones I told you about - Xander, Anya, Buffy,  
and Spike. You already know Cordelia and Angel."  
  
"Yes, he was here the other day with Connor." Angel smiled. Willow  
was Ron's mother and it made perfect sense. Now that he saw them   
together, he didn't know why he hadn't seen it before. The boy was so  
much like her. Angel chose to ignore the fact that Lindsey MacDonald  
was apparently the boy's father - now wasn't the time. He noticed  
Connor and Pandora hovering in the doorway, guilty looks on their  
faces. "Weren't you three supposed to be at the Halliwell's today   
after school?"  
  
"I think the children had their own plan for today." Willow smiled  
back at Angel. He seemed to be okay with everything. He wasn't  
visibly angry, but then he didn't know the whole story yet. "You  
brought me here on purpose, didn't you, Ron?"  
  
"Connor and his parents thought you were dead." Ron hung his head. "I  
knew you wouldn't want them to think that so...we thought you should  
come here and see them."  
  
"Now that is one smart kid you got there, Little Buddy." Xander shook  
hands with Ron and couldn't resist messing his hair. "I know you just  
met me, but I demand to be called Uncle Xander. Your Mom and I go way  
back."  
  
"I know, you stole her Barbie." Ron grinned at Xander - his Uncle  
Xander. He couldn't believe that he was actually meeting the people   
from his mother's stories.   
  
"Willow." Anya moved to Willow's side. "I'm happy you're back. We   
missed you a lot." She impulsively hugged the girl who meant so much  
to her husband. Tears prickled at her eyes.  
  
"I'm sorry I missed your wedding." Willow hugged Anya back. She was a  
bit stunned by the affection in her hug, Anya's usual reaction to her   
and Xander's relationship had always been jealousy. "Are Brenden and  
Michelle here too?"  
  
Anya wiped at her tears and brightened at the mention of her children.  
"No, but I have pictures." She immediately dug into her purse.  
  
This was the way it was supposed to be. Angel exchanged a smile with  
a tearful Cordelia. Willow was back with her friends where she   
belonged. He watched as she exclaimed over the pictures of Xander and  
Anya's kids. He couldn't help but wonder what she had been doing all  
these years, who she had run from, and how Lindsey fit into the   
picture. Angel had a lot of questions, but he realized now was not the  
time to ask them. Willow would explain everything when she was ready  
and until then he would just have to wait.  
  
"You'll have to come back to Sunnydale and visit," Anya gushed   
excitedly. She missed the sudden wary look in Willow's eyes, but Buffy  
didn't.  
  
"Willow can't come back to Sunnydale, can you?" Buffy's eyes narrowed  
in suspicion. "The Hellmouth too much of a temptation? You   
obviously haven't given up using magic."  
  
"Magic is a part of being a witch, why would Mrs. MacDonald have to   
give it up? It's a part of who she is." Pandora frowned as she tried  
to find an answer to her own question. She slowly became aware that   
she had caught the adults' attention and she blushed furiously and   
ducked her head. "Sorry, I...read that in a book. A book about   
magic."  
  
"Pandora's read a lot of books about magic. She's really interested in  
those kind of things," Connor covered quickly for his friend. He knew  
that his parents wouldn't hurt her just because she was a witch and he  
doubted that they would see her as a threat, but he wasn't so sure   
about her parents. From some of the things Pandora had told them about  
the demons the Source had sent after her, Connor gathered that her   
parents wouldn't exactly trust a vampire - soul or not - or his child.  
He didn't want to lose his friend.  
  
Buffy shifted uncomfortably, as if just realizing that confronting her  
friend wasn't the best idea while children were present. It really  
wasn't the best idea at all. She didn't want to confront Willow. She  
didn't want to see Willow. Buffy had been more than relieved when   
Willow had left town because she had been afraid that she would end up  
having to fight her best friend and kill her...or worse, not kill her.  
Buffy didn't know if she could kill Willow if she was evil even to save  
Dawn. That was what had scared her all those years ago. Dawn was her   
sister, yes, because as the Key she needed to be protected and so those  
memories were given to her, but Willow was her best friend and those  
memories were real. It had been a load off her mind and heart when she  
didn't have to make that choice. "Books don't always give you all the  
information. Magic can be dangerous in the wrong hands. Some people   
shouldn't use it ever."  
  
"And some people shouldn't make assumptions about things they know   
nothing about," an angry Lindsey MacDonald strode into the room. He   
put a protective hand on Willow's shoulder and glared at the other   
adults in the room. His harsh gaze settled on Angel and the vampire  
met his stare, his eyes narrowing with a hint of yellow flashing in   
their murky brown depths. The tension in the room shot up to an even  
higher degree.  
  
"Mac, it's okay." Willow cast a worried glance at Angel before turning  
to reassure her husband. She offered him a brave smile. "I'm okay.  
Really."  
  
"So, Will, who's your new friend?" Xander eyed Lindsey with   
best-friendly reserve. The guy was in his good books for defending   
Willow, but Angel and Cordelia's less than pleasant reaction put his  
character in doubt.  
  
"Oh, I'm sorry." Willow put her hand on Lindsey's arm and faced her  
friends. "Xander, Anya, Buffy...Spike, this is Lindsey MacDonald - my  
husband. Lindsey, these are my friends from Sunnydale that I've told  
you about. You already know Angel and Cordelia."  
  
"Yes." Lindsey's gaze again flickered toward Angel and Cordelia before  
deciding it would be better to focus on Xander. He held out his hand.  
"It's nice to finally meet you, Xander. Willow's told me a lot of   
stories about her childhood and you were in every one of them." He  
smiled pleasantly at Anya as well, but didn't extend any such   
pleasantries toward the others in the room.  
  
"Your husband?" Buffy cut in before Xander could reply. She raised a  
skeptical eyebrow. "Is that why you haven't asked about Tara and where  
she is? You do remember Tara, right?"  
  
This was more what Willow had expected - to be verbally attacked.   
Although she hadn't expected her relationship with Lindsey to be   
questioned. It had happened so slowly and she had needed him so much  
that it hadn't seemed strange when their 'marriage' had become real.  
Except for the fact that they had moved around the country like   
fugitives, they seemed like a normal family and it hadn't occurred to  
Willow that her friends would have reservations about her husband. It  
wasn't like she had been exclusively gay her whole life. "Yes, I   
remember Tara." Willow sighed. "And Oz." Buffy was going to jump on  
every one of the inconsistencies in her life and she could already   
feel the pressure of a headache. She felt Lindsey squeeze her   
shoulders and it helped relieve the tension inside her.   
  
"Say, Red, why don't you have hubby dearest take the little nippers  
out for some ice cream? I would do it, but I have sun issues and I   
must admit I'm a might curious to hear of your shenanigans," Spike   
spoke for the first time. He smirked at Willow.   
  
"No!" Lindsey and Ron objected immediately. They both moved even  
closer to Willow in a concerted effort to protect her.  
  
"I think Spike's suggestion is a good one." Willow moved her family  
back a bit and lowered her voice. "I'm fine. It'll just be easier to  
explain things to them if I don't have to worry about you guys." She  
glanced at her son and then at Lindsey. Willow had been fairly honest  
with Ron concerning his father and how he had been conceived. She had  
figured that Rack would catch up with them eventually and would delight  
in telling her son all the sordid details. She just didn't want Ron  
exposed to the reaction of her friends to this news. She didn't want  
him to ever hear someone even suggest that he was evil. She tried to  
convey her concern to Lindsey with her eyes and thankfully he seemed to  
catch on because he nodded slightly. "I can handle this. They're my  
friends."  
  
It took a great deal of effort for Angel to repress the snarl that   
twitched at his lips. It was one thing to realize that Willow was   
Lindsey MacDonald's wife in theory. It was quite another to be  
confronted with it by having him paw at her like he owned her and  
glaring at her friends like she needed protection from them - from  
him. Lindsey's hands wandered from Willow's shoulders to her waist.  
Angel wanted to rip Willow away from Evil Lawyer Boy and shove him out  
of his home. And there was no way Connor was going anywhere with him.  
Angel wasn't even sure he was going to let Willow and Ron leave with   
him.  
  
"Fred loves ice cream," Cordelia's falsely cheerful voice cut in.   
"Connor, why don't you go find Fred and Gunn and they can take you kids  
and Lindsey out for some ice cream while we talk."  
  
"That's a great idea, Cordelia." Willow smiled gratefully and reached  
up to give Lindsey a quick kiss. Cordelia just smiled wider. A weird  
pang twinged her heart. She would never admit it, but back in the  
day, she had entertained a small fantasy concerning one evil Wolfram  
and Hart lawyer. In it Lindsey MacDonald chose the side of good and he  
did it because of her. She would have to let it go now though because  
he had chosen the side of good - because of Willow.  
  
"Okay." Lindsey smiled at Willow. "Your mother is right, Ron. We have  
to let her do this herself, although I could have used a little   
warning."  
  
"So could I. We have our son to thank for that. How did you figure   
this out, Ron?"  
  
"I don't know, Mom. First I had to eliminate all the vampires with a  
soul named Angel who lived in Los Angeles and well, the rest was pretty  
easy." Ron ducked as his Dad took a mock swipe at him and they each  
gave Willow one last hug before following Connor and Pandora out of the  
room.  
  
"I don't know how, but he gets that from you." Willow grinned fondly   
at Xander.  
  
"The Xan-man's humor genes know no bounds." Xander shrugged. "It's   
just one of those wonders of the world we all appreciate."  
  
"So, Willow, why don't you sit down," Cordelia offered. She glanced at  
Angel. She had heard his soft growling the whole time Lindsey and   
Willow had been doing the family scene and he seemed calmer now. At  
least the growling had stopped.  
  
"Thanks." Willow took a seat. She chose one closer to the door and  
slightly apart from the others who had resumed their previous seats.  
She wasn't unaware of the significance of her choice. She didn't feel  
like one of the Scooby Gang and she wasn't anymore. "I didn't ask   
about Tara because I ran into her when we lived in Dallas a few years  
ago. She recognized the magic of the glamor and I revealed myself. I  
told her everything I'm about to tell you - I owed her that much - and  
I asked her not to say anything to any of you. She was the one who  
encouraged me to come back - her and Mac...Lindsey. Where do you want  
me to start?"  
  
"Why was your Marina Allen identity declared dead in that car   
accident?" Angel asked.  
  
At the same time, Cordelia asked, "How did you meet Lindsey?"  
  
"Actually, that's the same story. Since you know about Marina Allen,  
you must know that I was Alexandria Potter in New York."  
  
"A friend of ours - Lorne - knows the Dispero demon who gave you that  
identity," Angel explained.  
  
Willow nodded. "I left New York and assumed the Marina Allen identity.  
I met Lindsey and his wife - Aria - in a small town in West Virginia.  
She worked as a nurse for the doctor. Lindsey worked at the garage.  
They offered me a place to stay. A few months after Ron was born,  
Aria got an early morning emergency call from the doctor. She grabbed  
the wrong purse off the counter and she was in a car accident." Willow  
paused as she remembered that day and the tidal wave of guilt that went  
with it. It was because of Aria MacDonald that she and Ron had been  
relatively safe. "The body was burned beyond recognition, but the   
purse had been thrown from the car. It had my ID. Lindsey knew about  
my past - we had run into a vampire when I was pregnant and confessed  
to each other about how we each knew of their existence - he convinced  
me that it would be best if I became Aria. If Rack was able to track  
me as far as the Marina Allen identity, he would think I was dead.  
Lindsey and I - as Aria MacDonald - officially adopted Ron and we left  
town shortly after. We've been moving around ever since just in case  
Rack still wants Ron."  
  
"How do you know Willow's husband, Angel?" Buffy narrowed her eyes in  
his direction. There was something off about this man Willow was   
shacked up with.  
  
"He used to live in L.A. We had business." Angel wasn't protecting  
Lindsey. He was protecting Willow. The last thing she needed was to  
answer for his sins.  
  
"So, if your husband isn't Ron's father, then who is?" Xander asked   
with a worried frown. He didn't like to think about his little buddy  
alone in New York and turning to some strange guy for love.  
  
That was the question Willow dreaded answering. She wasn't going to   
bow her head in shame, she wasn't proud of what she had done, but she  
was proud of her son. She was going to look her friends in the eye   
when she told them, she just needed to pick the right one. It hurt   
too much to look at Xander, she would end up crying. Buffy was too  
hostile and wouldn't understand at all. Anya and Spike cared about the  
answer only in relation to what it would do to their loved ones and it  
would be a cop out to focus on one of them. Cordelia was too remote,  
Willow had only spoken to her a handful of times since highschool.  
Finally, Willow's gaze met Angel's. He would understand. Because of  
his soul and demon and Connor. "Rack." She heard the gasp's of her  
friends but didn't take her eyes off Angel. His expression hadn't   
changed. He looked worried and compassionate. "The last time I saw  
him - when I left Dawn in the waiting room - I traded my body for the  
magic he gave me. I thought it was just sex that he wanted, but it  
wasn't. When he came back, he isolated me from you guys. You were all  
so mad and disappointed and scared that you wouldn't listen to me.  
After a couple of weeks he felt that I was alienated enough to go along  
with his plan. He informed me that it wasn't just magic withdrawal   
that was making me sick. I was pregnant." The room was silent as   
Willow paused to breathe. She couldn't risk looking at anyone but  
Angel.   
  
"What did he want to do with the baby?" Angel's voice was quiet, but a  
deadly rage laced the calm.  
  
"Offer him as a sacrifice to his Master. He said that he could give me  
unimaginable power - so much that I would be able to open the Hellmouth  
or seal it forever. He didn't really care what I did with my power  
once he had his. I agreed to meet him that night to perform the   
ritual, but I left instead. I couldn't let him kill my baby." Willow  
hugged her abdomen, subconsciously shielding the life she had already   
given birth to. "I took a bus to Milwaukee where I met up with Tanya -  
the Dispero demon."  
  
There was few minutes of silence while her friends digested what Willow  
had told them. She didn't say anything, waiting for one of them to ask  
a question or tell her to leave. "Why didn't you come to L.A.? I   
would have protected you and your baby." Angel clenched his fists.  
  
"I think you had enough to deal with at that time, Angel. Connor's   
life was in enough danger without adding Rack to it."  
  
"I still would have protected you," Angel insisted. "Didn't you trust  
me?"  
  
"Trust you?" Xander suddenly exploded, a little bit of the old rivalry  
and jealous hatred for Angel showing up again. "What about me? I know  
I'm no vampire with or without a soul or slayer with super-strength or  
some amped up magic man, but I would have kept you and Ron safe. Rack  
would have gotten to you over my dead body."  
  
"I know. That's why I had to leave." Willow smiled sadly at Xander.  
He was angry with her, but that was okay. She could deal with anger.  
It was disappointment and disgust that she would have trouble with.  
"But it wasn't the only reason. I couldn't do it. I couldn't sit   
around and discuss my baby's potential evilness and whether or not we  
should destroy him. I couldn't do it."  
  
"Of course you couldn't." Cordelia nodded in sympathy. She remembered  
how difficult the round-the-table discussions and seemingly endless  
research sessions were before Connor was born. The big looming   
question being whether they should kill Darla and her baby before it  
was born or not. She glanced at Angel and knew from the grimace on his  
face that he was remembering too.  
  
"So, you took the chance that your baby could be evil and ran." Buffy   
didn't know what to think or feel. She was mad. And sad. And  
disgusted with herself and Willow. And relieved that her friend was  
alive. And confused by everything. And terrified. Being mad was the  
easiest to feel and express. "You risked bringing something into this  
world that would kill us all?"  
  
"If Ron had been anything other than a heathy baby, I would have   
handled it before it became a problem." Willow stiffened. The rest of  
them seemed to be taking things well, but that could be because of the  
shock of her reappearance. What the hell was Buffy's problem? "As the  
Key, Dawn is a potential threat to this world and you haven't destroyed  
her."  
  
"I knew it! I knew the minute I saw you that you were after the Key's  
power." Buffy jumped up. "Why else would you suddenly reappear after  
all these years? I won't let you hurt Dawn."  
  
Buffy's advance was thwarted by Spike. He grabbed her around the  
waist and pulled her back. "Red's not going to hurt Dawn. She was   
just making a point."  
  
"Great! You're on her side too." Buffy whirled around. "Fine,   
Willow's not evil. She's still my sweet innocent best friend and not  
some evil warlock's whore. But tell me this, if she's not evil where  
did she get the money to disappear?" Buffy whipped back to face  
Willow. She was desperate. She was not wrong to kick Willow out of  
her house. She had been unpredictable and out of control. Her actions  
proved it - the Willow she had known would not sell herself for magic.  
She had just been protecting her sister. She was the Slayer and it was  
her job to protect the Key. She was the Big Sister and it was her  
duty to make sure that Dawn was safe. "Tell us, Willow, how did you  
get the money to pay this Dispero demon? I know that your parents   
cut you off completely after you told them about Tara. A new identity  
can't come cheap. Or did you work out another trade deal, like the one  
you did with Rack?"  
  
"Buffy." Xander's eyes widened in shock. He heard Angel growl and   
Cordelia murmur something in a soothing tone.  
  
Willow paled. "I can't do this anymore. I have to go. I have to   
leave. Mac...." She stumbled to her feet, unable to control her  
trembling limbs. "Mac...."  
  
A strong hand gripped her elbow and steadied her. She looked up at  
Angel. "You're not going to leave Los Angeles, are you? Because I  
really want you to stay."  
  
Willow shook her head. "Ron likes it here. I just...I have to go   
home. I'm sorry, Angel. Xander. I'll call you guys tomorrow."  
  
"Why? Truth too much for you, Willow?" Buffy wished she could shut  
the hell up. She wasn't sure where these words were coming from now.  
Watching Willow tremble in Angel's arms made her realize that her  
accusations were bordering on the insane, but she couldn't stop them.  
For some reason she couldn't let go of this horrible anger toward her  
best friend. "Answer my question?"  
  
"What does it matter, Buffy? Trust me, I won't be setting foot in  
Sunnydale, so you never have to see me again." Willow pulled herself  
out of Angel's grasp. "I really will call you guys tomorrow. Right  
now I'm going home to my husband and my son. Good-bye, Buffy." She  
stalked out of the room and they heard the front door slam behind her.  
  
"I gave her the money." Spike released Buffy and stepped back. "Red  
came to me and told me about the jam she was in so I coughed up the   
cash. Are you ready to go home now?"  
  
Buffy nodded numbly. Where had it all gone wrong? What had happened  
that would make Willow trust Spike more than she did her and Xander?   
  
To be continued.....  
  
HOLY LONG SCENE BATMAN!!!! Whew! Well, there it is folks, I hope it  
was worth the wait. I had wanted to include some scenes with the   
Halliwells and more on Lilah's nefarious plans but Willow and the Scoobs  
took forever to work things out and they're not even finished yet!  
T. C. 


	10. Chapter Eight

Part Eight  
  
The police station was hectic cacophony of people who were desperate   
and scared and frustrated. Luckily, the Halliwell sisters were well   
used to this atmosphere. Piper watched as Phoebe frantically tried to  
catch the attention of someone who could help them. Unfortunately   
their detective friend Darryl was on vacation and wouldn't be able to   
help them with Cole's situation. "Excuse me!" Phoebe waved at a desk  
sergeant carrying files to a filing cabinet. "Hi, I was wondering if  
you could help me find my boyfriend. He was arrested." Phoebe caught  
the disdainful look the middle-aged woman sent her way and shook her   
head. "He's not a lowlife or anything. He's a lawyer. He's just been  
under a lot of stress lately and he...uh, Paige, what did he do?"  
  
"Sucker punched a judge."  
  
"He what?" Phoebe's eyes widened as she turned to face her sister.  
"Oh, God. I won't be able to bail him out today, will I?"  
  
"I doubt it." The desk sergeant shoved the files in the cabinet. She  
looked vaguely sympathetic as she turned to Phoebe. "I'll go look into  
it though. What's the name?"  
  
"Cole Turner. Thank you."  
  
"If it's any consolation, the guy deserved it." Paige ran a hand   
through her hair as she looked around the station. She had been here  
before - for both her social worker and Charmed One duties - so she  
wasn't nervous. She did feel bad for her sister though. "The judge  
wouldn't listen to any of our evidence and was going to place the kid  
Cole was representing back with his abusive mother. Apparently she's   
the daughter of a friend of the judge's. If Cole hadn't belted him, I  
might have."  
  
"Then you would have been the one we couldn't bail out of jail and   
wouldn't the demons have loved that," Piper drawled. She gave her   
youngest sister a stern look to make her disapproval of such an action  
clear - even though she secretly agreed with it. She led the way over  
to the helpful desk sergeant who was just hanging up a phone. "How   
long is Cole going to be in jail?"  
  
"Right now Mr. Turner is being held on a contempt charge, the judge   
hasn't filed for assault yet - which is good news. If your boyfriend  
apologizes tomorrow then he can leave."  
  
"Can I see him?" Phoebe asked anxiously.   
  
"Not until tomorrow morning before the hearing. It's at ten."  
  
"Thank you." Phoebe turned around. There was nothing she could do for  
Cole now, but they would have a lot to discuss the next morning. She  
couldn't believe he would do something so stupid. She couldn't believe  
that she had driven him to this extreme just because she didn't want to  
make a decision on whether or not they should get married. It looked  
like she couldn't waffle anymore. Cole would get his answer in the  
morning. Too bad she didn't know what it would be yet.  
  
"Let's go home, honey." Piper's comforting embrace closed around  
Phoebe's shoulders as she guided her sister out of the police station.  
"Cole will be fine."  
  
"Yeah," Paige cut in. She hugged Phoebe's other side. "He used to  
spend time in the Underworld with demons...jail should be a walk in the  
park."  
  
*****  
  
No one said anything. Spike's announcement hung in the air. Most of  
them were shocked - Spike was hardly known for philanthropy - but Angel  
wasn't. Much as Drusilla's childe annoyed him, Angel knew that Spike  
was a sucker for a damsel in distress. It had been his habit to 'save'  
fair maidens from Angelus' fangs, but only so he could savor a kill  
purloined from Dru's precious Daddy. This was different. Angel  
couldn't figure out what had been in it for Spike when he had helped  
Willow. He would have had nothing to gain and probably would have   
lost Buffy's trust. It didn't make sense.  
  
Despite her agreement that they should head back home, Buffy had made   
no move to leave. Willow had gone to Spike for help. Out of all of   
them, she had trusted Spike. Things really had been bad between them  
and they obviously still were. Buffy had always thought that they   
would eventually work things out - her repressed anger about being  
pulled out of Heaven and ambivalence toward her friends - just like   
they had worked things out that time she had run away after sending   
Angel to Hell. Then Willow had disappeared and Buffy had squelched   
all her feelings about her best friend. "Why did you help her?"  
  
"Because I felt like it." Spike grimaced petulantly. He hated   
explaining himself, especially when he had no idea what the reason   
behind his actions was. Or he knew, but didn't like the reason. He  
had actually felt sorry for the little redhead and her unborn kid. It  
had also felt good to put one over on a big bad in town - showed he   
shouldn't messed with chip or not. "Are we going back to Sunnyhell or  
not? I'm sick of looking at Peaches' furrowed brow."  
  
"Nice seeing you too." Angel glared at Spike's scowl. "Look, Buffy,  
I don't think you should leave things with Willow like this. I know  
you don't really feel that way about her and you didn't mean some of  
the things you said."  
  
"Thanks, Angel, but I need some time to think and figure how I do feel  
and what I do want to say." Buffy reached out and touched Angel's arm.  
She wiped at the tears that had fallen down her cheek with her other  
hand. "You'll look after her, right Angel? Make sure she's safe from  
Rack and won't disappear again?"  
  
"Of course." Angel pulled Buffy into a comforting hug. Willow would  
safe, but it wasn't Rack he was worried about. In his mind Angel saw  
Lindsey MacDonald as the biggest threat to his friend's safety.   
Wolfram and Hart's former golden boy had insinuated himself into   
Willow's life impeccably. She trusted him with her son and her love so  
much that she had returned to the place she had ran from. Angel knew   
that Willow had wanted to make a stable life for Ron, but he wasn't too  
sure about Lindsey's motives for moving back to Los Angeles.  
  
"Dad! Mom!" Connor yelled and they could hear the front door banging  
closed. "Hey, Dad, Ron's Mom met us at the ice cream place so Uncle  
Gunn took Dory home." He appeared in the doorway and immediately   
stopped talking when he noticed his Dad hugging Buffy. "I thought it  
would okay to come back."  
  
Angel had felt Buffy stiffen in his arms at the sound of Connor's   
voice. He released her and smiled at his son. "It's fine. How was  
school? Aside from the plot to reunite your parents with their old  
friend?"  
  
"They gave us these." Connor handed Angel the orange flyer. He gave  
Buffy a wary glance. He had always been aware of her distaste for him  
and knew that it had something to do with his vampire mother because  
she was a slayer and all, but it still made him uncomfortable. "It's a  
parent/teacher night."   
  
"Oh, I've been waiting for this." Cordelia snatched the paper from   
Angel's hand. "We get to meet your teachers and the other parents...  
look, Angel, it's after sunset so you don't even have to use the   
sewers." She hugged Connor. "Honey, I'm so proud of you."  
  
"Mom, you haven't even talked to my teachers yet."  
  
"I know, but I know I'll be proud. At least it's next week so we have  
a few days to prepare. I have to go shopping for a new outfit and get  
my hair done. Angel, we'll have to get something decent for you too.  
We don't want to embarrass our son."  
  
"You mean you don't want me to embarrass you." Angel took the flyer   
back from Cordelia so that he could read it. He felt a swell of pride.  
He was actually going to his son's parent/teacher night. It was  
incredible.  
  
During Cordelia's rattling speech and Angel and Connor's comments,   
both Buffy and Xander blanched. Neither of them were entirely   
comfortable with the family Angel and Cordelia had formed with Connor  
even though they had all moved on from their intense first loves.   
Xander cleared his throat. "We should go." He stood up and helped  
Anya to her feet. "Thanks for finding Willow and for looking out for  
her."  
  
"You're welcome." Angel shook hands with Xander. "We, uh, have a lot  
of rooms here if you ever want to stay over when you come to visit   
Willow."  
  
"Thanks, man. Bye, Cordy."  
  
"Bye, Xander." Cordy smiled. She waited until the Sunnydale group had  
said their good-byes and had left before she squealed and hugged Angel  
and Connor to her. "This is great! Willow is back and you and her  
son are friends. Oh, I should call her and maybe we can go shopping  
together."  
  
Angel and Connor exchanged a grin as Cordelia waltzed out of the room.  
It was obvious that she didn't share Angel's reservations about   
Lindsey. That bothered Angel. He had hoped that he could make   
watching Lindsey an Angel Investigations case - like looking for Willow  
had been - but it looked like it would have to be more personal.  
  
*****  
  
When the Halliwell sisters returned home from the police station it was  
to find a rusted out truck parked in front of their house and Gunn and  
Pandora sitting on the front steps playing Jacks. They were quite   
involved in the game, not immediately noticing that they had   
spectators. "Hi, honey. I take it that your father isn't home."   
Piper finally drew their attention from the game. Gunn caught the   
little rubber ball after its first bounce and stood up.  
  
"Hi, Mom." Pandora smiled at her mother and aunts. She was well   
aware of the rule about not inviting strangers into the house and had  
been glad when Gunn hadn't said anything when she had sat down on the  
front step. "No one was home so Gunn stayed with me and taught me how  
to play this new game. It's called 'Jacks' and it's fun."  
  
"That's nice. It's actually an old game, your Aunt Prue taught me how  
to play when I was a little girl." Piper smiled and held out her hand  
to the younger man. She had heard of Gunn from her daughter and Paige.  
"It's nice to meet you. I'm Piper Halliwell, Pan's mother. This is  
my sister, Phoebe, and you've already met Paige."  
  
Gunn shook Piper's hand. "Nice to meet you too. I'm Charles Gunn,  
Connor's uncle." He looked over her shoulder at Paige. Damn, but she  
was one fine woman.  
  
"Thank you for staying with Pan." Piper and Phoebe exchanged an amused  
glance. "Pan, why don't we go inside and start dinner." She unlocked   
the front door and ushered her daughter through it.   
  
"It's nice to put a face to the, uh, rather lengthy description."  
Phoebe breezed by Gunn, throwing a smirk over her shoulder at Paige.  
  
Paige glared at her sister's back for a moment, but it turned into a  
smile as soon as the front door closed. He was as hot as she   
remembered - even without the axe. "So, you do have a first name."  
  
"Yeah, but I prefer Gunn." Gunn grinned. He had to hand it to Connor,  
his little girl friend had some good genes going for her. She was   
going to be a knockout when she grew up judging from her mother and  
aunts.  
  
"I'm still Paige." Paige stepped up beside Gunn. She leaned against  
the side of the door and casually crossed her arms under her chest.  
It was great that both her sisters were taken, because now she had  
could have this guy all to herself. "So, Gunn, what exactly do you  
do?"  
  
"I'm an investigator for Angel Investigations. We investigate...stuff."  
Now that was lame. Gunn groaned to himself. He was spending way too  
much time with Angel and Wesley. He was losing his smoothness with   
the ladies. "And we help people. So, what do you do?"  
  
"I help people too. I'm a social worker." Paige leaned forward. "My  
sister, Piper, owns a club, P3. Maybe you would like to stop in   
sometime. We're usually around there late at night on the weekends."  
  
"Sure. I work nights, but I'll make sure to check it out." Gunn   
glanced at his watched and cursed Wesley's love for weekly 'team  
meetings.' "I should probably go now. We have a business meeting."  
  
"Okay. I'll see you around then." Paige sighed as he headed back to  
his truck. She should have just asked him out instead of playing it  
cool with the vague invite to the club. She hissed in pain as her  
foot stepped on something sharp. The Jacks. She bent down and   
scooped them into the maroon velvet pouch beside them. She ran to   
catch up with Gunn. "Hey, wait, you forgot your Jacks."  
  
"Thanks." Gunn reached out the driver's side window and took the   
pouch from Paige. "They were my sister's."  
  
"Then you don't want to lose them. I borrowed a pair of Phoebe's boots  
once and lost them and I never hear the end of it." Paige smiled  
brightly. Gunn didn't return it.  
  
"I have to go. See ya." He distractedly put the truck in gear and  
drove off.  
  
"Bye." Paige waved a bit and then turned back to the house. What had  
she said that had upset him so much? She closed the front door behind  
her, still racking her brains for something offensive or insensitive  
that she could have said. She stopped when she notice Pandora sitting  
on the stairs. "Hey, Pan, is something wrong?"  
  
Pandora sighed. She dreaded telling her aunts, because she knew they  
would insist on telling her mother and father, but she needed their  
help. It had worked out for Connor and Ron when their parents had  
discovered that their child's friend was of supernatural origin. And  
the more she thought about it, the more Ms. Foster's behavior bothered  
her. She didn't want Connor to be in danger just because she was   
afraid of telling her family about her friends and their families'  
abilities. "Mom is making dinner. I have to talk to you and Aunt  
Phoebe."  
  
"Okay." Paige frowned. This sounded serious. She followed Pandora  
upstairs to Phoebe's room.  
  
"Aunt Phoebe." Pandora knocked on her aunt's bedroom door. "I need to  
talk to you."  
  
"Okay, honey, come in." Phoebe was sitting at her desk. She turned  
and raised an eyebrow at Paige who shrugged in response. Paige sat  
down at the window seat while Pandora settled herself on the bed after  
firmly closing the door.   
  
Now that she had her aunts alone, Pandora didn't know ho to start - at  
least not in a way that wouldn't alarm them. There really wasn't any  
way to tell the story that wouldn't upset or worry them, so she opted  
to say it fast. "Connor's Dad is a vampire. A good vampire with a   
soul - he was cursed by Gypsies. He helps people. His birth mother  
was a vampire too - only not so good because she didn't have a soul,   
but she did sacrifice herself to give birth to Connor so she wasn't so  
bad. His mother - Ms. Chase who raised him - is part demon because  
she gets these visions that direct her and Connor's Dad to the people  
who need help. She used to be human, but the visions would have killed  
her so she became part demon so she could help Connor's Dad earn his  
redemption. Connor isn't a vampire, but he is superstrong and he can  
hear and see things better than an average person." Pandora took a   
deep breath, but quickly went on before her aunts could say anything.  
"Ron's Mom is a witch - like us - and his biological father is an evil  
warlock. They're on the run from him because he wanted to sacrifice  
Ron when he was just a baby to gain more power. Ron's Stepdad used to  
work for an evil law firm called Wolfram and Hart, but he's good now  
too because he didn't like being evil and he loves Ron's Mom, but I  
don't think Connor's Dad entirely believes that - he knew Ron's Stepdad  
when he worked for Wolfram and Hart. Connor's Mom and Dad also know  
Ron's Mom from when they all lived in Sunnydale years and years ago  
when Ron's Mom and Connor's Mom were teenagers. Sunnydale sits on top  
of a Hellmouth and they were all friends with the Slayer. They all  
thought that Ron's Mom was dead because she had run away before Ron was  
born and was hiding from Ron's biological father - the evil warlock -   
but now they know she's alive." Another deep breath. "And for years  
demons, vampires, and Wolfram and Hart have been trying to kidnap or  
kill Connor and we think that our teacher is evil. She might want to  
hurt Connor, but she never touches me so I can't get a vision. We want  
you to shake her hand at the parent/teacher night, Aunt Phoebe, so you  
can get a vision. I really like school and I don't want to leave  
especially because Connor and Ron are my best friends."  
  
There was a few minutes of silence as Phoebe and Paige digested the  
font of information their niece had imparted. "Wow, when you say you  
have to talk, you really do spill, mutchkin." Paige shook her head.  
A sudden thought occurred to her. "Does Gunn know about Connor's Dad."  
  
"Yeah, he fights vampires and demons with him. Connor said that a long  
time ago, his Uncle Gunn's sister was made into a vampire and he had to  
stake her." Pandora threw a worried glance at her Aunt Phoebe. She  
was really quiet.  
  
It made sense now. Gunn had obviously been thinking about his sister  
and of course, she had to say something dumb. Paige could have smacked  
herself, but hopefully he would accept her apology. She looked at   
Phoebe. She hadn't said anything yet.  
  
"We have to tell Piper and Leo." Phoebe moved to sit beside Pandora.  
"It's a good plan to have me scope out your teacher, but your Mom and  
Dad need to know about any possible danger that you could be in. Aunt  
Paige and I will check out the Book of Shadows to see if it has any  
information about vampires with souls so we can reassure them about   
Connor's parents."  
  
"Maybe it knows a little something about this Wolfram and Hart law firm  
too. I think I remember the name from around the court room." Paige  
sat down on Pandora's other side. She gave her niece a reassuring hug.  
"It'll be okay, Pan. Don't get me wrong, Piper's initial blow up is  
going to be legendary, but I'm sure she'll calm down and see reason.  
Eventually."  
  
Paige and Phoebe exchanged doubtful looks over Pandora's head. Neither  
of them held out much hope for the niece's return to school. They  
knew that their sister was incredibly protective of her daughter and  
it would be a miracle if Pan was ever let out of the house again.  
  
*****  
  
The air in Lilah's office crackled with dark demon energy. She shifted  
uncomfortably in her expensive leather chair. As the head of Special  
Projects, she had the abhorrent task of actually speaking to one or all  
of the Senior Partners. Lucky for her today it was just one - the   
energy was only a fraction of what it would have been if this was a  
conference call. Lilah leaned in a bit closer to the speaker phone   
and forced her voice to be cheerful and confident. "Everything is set.  
Angel has received the parent/teacher notice and as proud parents I'm  
sure that he and his Seer won't miss it. The teacher golem will keep  
them busy while a team is dispatched to The Hyperion to retrieve the  
boy. By this time next week Wolfram and Hart will have acquired the  
most coveted prize in all demon circles."  
  
"Not if the Seer gets a vision." The guttural, hissing voice didn't  
exactly issue from the speaker. Its sibilant tones emanated from the  
disturbing presence in the office and seemed to whisper up Lilah's   
spine and invade her mind.   
  
"Th..that's been taken care of." Lilah shivered involuntarily, but   
collected herself quickly. "We've hired another psychic hacker who has  
placed a psychic block on Ms. Chase. He's allowing some of her visions  
to filter through - so none of them will get suspicious - but she won't  
receive anything that has to do with Connor." Lilah allowed herself a   
smirk of satisfaction. She was good at her job. "What about the girl?  
I'm sure the Source would be forever in our debt if we handed him the  
future of the Charmed Ones."  
  
"Are you prepared to take the girl? She is powerful for one so young."  
The doubt expressed by the Senior Partner rankled Lilah. It also set  
off a nervous alarm bell so she said nothing in response. Instead she  
waited for further instruction. "We are more interested in Lindsey  
MacDonald. Have you made any progress?"  
  
"Lindsey made it very clear that he wants nothing to do with Wolfram  
and Hart. He threatened to give Angel the last scroll if I ever made  
a move in his or his family's direction." Lilah swallowed her bitter  
jealousy toward her former rival, but couldn't help asking, "Why would  
you want a convictionless traitor like Lindsey MacDonald back at the  
firm?"  
  
"Because, Ms. Morgan, where you have failed in the past, Lindsey   
MacDonald would have succeeded. Get him back." The demon energy   
dissipated and the phone emitted a dull dial tone until Lilah shut it  
off with an angry jab of her finger. How the hell was she going to  
convince Lindsey to come back to Wolfram and Hart. He had threatened  
to kill her. Why would she even try when the Senior Partners   
obviously planned on handing him her job. Lilah chuckled hollowly.  
She was doing all the work and all Lindsey had to do was walk through  
the front doors and he would get all the credit.  
  
Unless of course this operation went smoothly. Once she had Angel's  
brat securely locked away in one of the sub-levels, it might change the  
Senior Partners' minds. Although it would probably help even more if  
she had the recommendation of the Source of All Evil. Which she would  
surely get by giving him the Charmed little witch herself. Lilah   
smiled. Yes, she would be prepared to take the girl that night too and  
then Lindsey wouldn't stand a chance of being the golden boy again.  
  
*****  
  
It wasn't stalking. Angel was merely following a good friend to   
protect her from a danger she refused to recognize. That's all it  
was - concern for Willow and her son's safety. Buffy had asked him to  
keep them safe and that was what he was doing. And that's exactly what  
he would tell Willow and Cordelia if they ever found out what he was  
up to. It was obvious that Lindsey wasn't responsible enough for the  
job. They were walking through the park. At night.  
  
"Mom, Dad, race you home!" Ron yelled and took off ahead of his   
parents.  
  
"Ron, come back." Willow went to sprint after her son, but Lindsey   
caught her around the waist and whirled her into his arms.  
  
"Relax, Willow, he's fine." Lindsey smiled and pulled Willow closer.  
"We can see the house from here and he has his own key. We're not  
running anymore." As if to make his point. Ron opened the front door  
of the house and disappeared inside. The interior lights blazed   
through the windows.  
  
"I know. That's why I'm worried." Willow sighed and cuddled closer.  
"Rack can find us at any time and Wolfram and Hart could come after   
you. I don't know what I would do if I lost you, Mac."  
  
"You're not going to lose me." Lindsey pressed a kiss to Willow's  
temple and tilted her chin up so he could look into her eyes. "I   
warned Lilah that if she hurt you or Ron I would give Angel the last  
scroll. She can't risk that, it would destroy Wolfram and Hart."  
  
"What about you?" Concern reflected clearly in Willow's features.  
  
"I'm not going to leave you, Willow, I promise. I love you." Lindsey  
leaned down and kissed her.  
  
It was too much. Angel melted further into the shadows and made his  
way to Willow's house to check on Ron. Angle just couldn't believe  
that Lindsey's feelings were sincere. If they were, then why wasn't  
he handing over this 'last scroll' that Lilah was so afraid of? With  
it, it sounded like Angel could get rid of Wolfram and Hart once and  
for all. If Lindsey really had Willow's best interest at heart, that's  
what he would want. No, Lindsey couldn't be trusted - had flipped back  
to Wolfram and Hart's side too many times for Angel to leave Willow  
and Ron's safety in his hands.  
  
To be continued.... 


	11. Chapter Nine

Part Nine  
  
It was a beautiful California day - too beautiful to waste by sitting  
inside and moping. Ron was in school and Lindsey was meeting with his  
agent. Willow hadn't enjoyed a California day in years so she decided  
to go for a walk. She walked through the park that was close to their  
house and watched the younger children play under the eagle eyes of   
their mothers and babysitters. It was nice to finally have a permanent  
home and friends. She and Cordelia had gone shopping a few times and  
she and Ron had stopped by the Hyperion to visit with her, Angel, and  
Connor without Lindsey. She had spoken to Xander on the phone every  
night since their impromptu reunion and he and Anya would be bringing  
their kids to L. A. for a visit the next weekend. Things were going  
great with two exceptions - she hadn't talked to Buffy again and she  
hadn't heard from Dawn at all. Willow sighed. Now she was moping in  
the sunshine. She turned back toward home. If anything she could get  
some work done on a neural net security program she was working on. It  
was for more unconventional businesses and incorporated several spells  
to protect a user from psychic hackers or demons that would use the net  
to possess people. She hoped to test it out at Angel Investigations,  
but hadn't asked yet.  
  
"Willow!" a happy, excited female voice yelled as Willow neared her  
house. Sitting on her front step was Buffy and a lovely young woman  
who could only be Dawn. The fourteen year old girl in Willow's memory  
suddenly became a twenty-five year old woman in seconds. "Willow!"  
Dawn called again. She stood up and waved before running down the walk  
and engulfing Willow in a hard hug. "I missed you so much."  
  
"I missed you too, Dawnie." Willow hugged her back. She looked over  
Dawn's shoulder at Buffy. She wasn't wearing her wary Slayer look, but  
rather simply a guarded, closed expression that showed very little  
emotion. Willow wasn't certain why Buffy had turned up on her doorstep  
after she had made it clear that she was disgusted by her and her son  
and didn't trust her. Willow stepped away from Dawn. "I'm so sorry  
for what I did to you and I'm sorry if you spent all these years afraid  
of me. I was young and stupid and in way over my head, but I've   
learned how to control myself and my magic. I don't want to hurt you."  
  
"Then don't leave again." Dawn smiled brilliantly. She wiped at her  
tears. "I'm sorry you felt like you had to leave in the first place.  
I wasn't really mad at you, not really. Don't do it again, okay?"  
  
"Okay." Willow felt tears prickle at her eyes and blinked them back.  
She hugged Dawn again. "You're all grown up."  
  
"Yeah. I'm getting married." Dawn broke the embrace this time to   
show Willow her engagement ring. "I can't wait to meet your husband  
and son and for you to meet Andy. We'll have to come back to the city  
and have lunch some time. Right now I have to go meet Andy's mother  
and talk wedding plans." Another quick hug and then Dawn sprinted to  
her car. "Bye, Willow. Buffy, I'll pick you up in a couple of hours."  
She drove off with a wave much to her older sister's apparent shock.  
  
An uncomfortable silence settled between the former best friends.  
Willow stepped up to her front door to unlock it as Buffy stood up  
awkwardly. "Shouldn't you have gone with her to help plan the   
wedding?" Willow stepped into her house. She didn't invite Buffy in   
nor did she close the door.  
  
"I was supposed to, but I guess Dawn had other plans." Buffy stood on  
the front step. She still didn't know what to say to Willow and could  
curse her younger sister for interfering. "I'm sorry you felt you had  
to leave too. No matter what was going on, I would have protected you  
and your son."  
  
"I wasn't so sure about that, Buffy. Maybe I would have been if my  
friends had believed in me in the first place." Willow felt sour  
bitterness rise up in the back of her throat with her words. Her fists  
clenched. She wasn't a shy, uncertain girl eager to please anymore.  
"One mistake. I made one mistake and you wrote me off as evil. You  
gave Faith more chances than that."  
  
"It was more than once." Buffy hung her head. She didn't want to do  
this. It would be so much easier to not do this. "I was in Heaven.  
Heaven, Willow. I had done my duty and I was at peace. You pulled me  
back into this mess because you were scared."  
  
"I was afraid you were in Hell. You jumped into that vortex without  
telling any of us what you were going to do. We didn't have time to  
research. All we knew was that Glory was a Hell Goddess and that was  
her ride home. I'm sorry, Buffy, I'm sorry I took you out of Heaven,  
but I didn't know!"  
  
"I know. It's just...I had finally fulfilled my duty as the Slayer.  
I thought that maybe I would be given a normal life as a reward, but  
I didn't get that chance because I had to claw my way out of my own  
grave. A part of me hated you for that and an even bigger part of me  
hated myself for feeling that way. When Rack said you were addicted  
to black magic and turning evil, it justified my feelings and I didn't  
hate myself so much anymore."  
  
"I'm so glad for you." Willow glared. She stopped herself from   
slamming the door in Buffy's face. Things wouldn't get resolved that  
way and they needed a resolution - for better or worse. "I wish there  
was something that could help me forgive myself for what I did. Do  
you think that I just walked away from that unscathed? That I didn't  
care about what I had done to my best friend? God, Buffy, do you think  
that you're the only person who has feelings? You wouldn't talk about  
it. I knew that you hated me, but you wouldn't talk about it. You  
just kept saying that everything was fine, but it wasn't fine. You   
didn't want to be alive."  
  
"I'm sorry. We should have talked. Maybe if we had then you wouldn't   
have turned to Amy for company and then you wouldn't have even met  
Rack."  
  
"What I got from Rack had nothing to do with you, Buffy. He made me  
feel powerful and special and confident. When I was doing a spell,  
a really powerful spell, it was like no one could touch me and the  
magic that Rack gave me was ten times stronger. It was better than the  
power that surged through me when I did your resurrection spell. Tara  
was right about me having to learn not to be dependant on magic, but  
the answer wasn't to give it up entirely. I had to learn to like   
myself for who I am and then magic just became a part of me and my  
life instead of being my life."  
  
"Good. I always knew you were special. I'm sorry I was such a bitch  
the other day. I was afraid that you had come back to hurt us. If you  
were evil, I couldn't kill you, Willow. I love you." Buffy sighed.  
"Is this over now? Can we stop saying nasty things to each other and  
be friends again?" Buffy looked hopefully at Willow. The anger and  
resentment that she had felt for years toward her best friend was gone  
and in its place was only relief that she was okay and happy. There  
was still a lot that they had to talk about, but Buffy needed to know  
that Willow was going to be her friend at the end of it.  
  
"I hope so. I love you too, Buffy." Willow let her tears fall and  
from the sound of Buffy's sniffles, she was doing the same. She   
reached out and they hugged and cried on each other's shoulder. Willow  
felt the last missing piece of her life restored like the final color  
on a paint-by-numbers as her friendship with Buffy started to mend.  
She smiled through her tears. "Come in, let's have some coffee and  
catch up. I can't believe little Dawn is getting married."  
  
"Me either. He's a nice guy, though. Took the whole vampire slayer  
sister/key to the universe thing well." Buffy followed Willow into  
the kitchen. On the way she noticed pictures of Ron at various ages  
and pictures of Willow with her husband as well as family pictures of  
the three of them. She had missed so much of her best friend's life.  
"Spike hates him, but we don't pay attention to that - he's just   
overprotective."  
  
"He always was. So, are you and Spike...together?" Willow wasn't sure  
if it was her place to ask that question, but there was so much that  
she didn't know about Buffy's life. She thought she had picked up a  
vibe between the two of them at Angel's and Spike had been in love with  
Buffy when she had left.  
  
"He has a soul." Buffy settled herself at the kitchen table. She just  
realized that she had been dying to talk to Willow about Spike and Dawn  
and so many things. And there was so much that she wanted to know  
about - Lindsey, Ron, and how Willow had felt when she had seen Tara  
again. It was going to be a nice, long chat. One long overdue.  
  
*****  
  
If you looked at it just on the surface, it wasn't that scary. Just a  
long table with high partitions that gave an illusion of privacy. It  
was like a bank of payphones or study cubicles at the university   
library. That's what Phoebe told herself as she nervously settled   
herself down into the metal chair the prison guard had directed her  
to. She didn't have to wait long before another guard on the other  
side of the bullet proof glass brought Cole in. She picked up the   
phone and watched as Cole did the same.  
  
"Hi." Phoebe quickly scanned over as much as Cole as she could see.  
He had refused to see her and had spent the last four days in jail. He  
looked okay - tired, sad, unshaven, and a bit thinner - but okay.  
  
"Hi." Cole ran a hand through his hair and smiled sheepishly. "I'm   
going to be in a here a while longer. I couldn't tell you before, but  
I'm involved in an investigation of the judge who put me in here. I  
can't apologize to the bastard even if I wanted to."  
  
"So, you didn't think to warn me about this before you did it? I  
thought that you would rather stay in jail then come home with me.   
That you didn't want to see me. Have things gotten that bad between  
us?"  
  
"No. Yes." Cole sighed. He hated the horrible sadness in Phoebe's  
eyes. He hated that he was the cause of it. It was his past as a   
demon that had her so wary of committing to him. He wished he could be  
happy with what they had, but he wanted what Piper and Leo had. He  
wanted a wife and children. "I think we need the time apart. I love  
you, Phoebe, and I know what I want...."  
  
"I want to marry you," Phoebe interrupted. "I love you and you're  
right, we should take the next step. I've been stupid and paranoid  
all these years."  
  
"Phoebe, I'm not staying in jail to blackmail you into accepting my  
marriage proposal."  
  
"I know." Phoebe leaned closer to the glass separating them. "I'm  
just giving you advance warning. When you do get out of here, buster,  
I expect one hell of a romantic proposal. After all, you should have  
plenty of time to plan."  
  
"You're right about that." Cole grinned. He reached out, but his  
fingers bumped up against the glass. "Tell Pandora I'm sorry that I'll  
miss her first parent/teacher night. Is she nervous?"  
  
"Yes, but like everything else in her life, not for the normal   
reasons." Phoebe took a deep breath. She didn't want to worry Cole,  
especially since he couldn't do anything from his jail cell, but she  
also didn't want to lie. "She and her friends suspect her teacher of  
either being a demon or working for demons. It seems that Pan's new  
friends have something in common with her. They think the teacher   
might want to hurt Connor Chase. Apparently his father is a vampire   
with a soul who works for the Powers That Be. At the parent/teacher  
night I'm going to see if I can get a premonition from Ms. Foster."  
  
"Wow. So, Pan knows Angelus' son. How tightly wound is Piper these  
days?"  
  
"Actually, she took the news quite calmly and is acting rationally  
about it. Paige and I are worried about her." Phoebe frowned. "You  
know this vampire? Leo said the Elders had no information about a  
vampire with a soul."  
  
"No, they wouldn't. He would have been beneath their notice - not  
enough power - but was quite a legend in the Underworld." Cole smiled  
wistfully. "In fact, he was kind of my inspiration. The Scourge of  
Europe giving up his evil ways because he regained his soul. I have a  
soul, I just didn't know how to use it until I met you and fell in   
love."  
  
"Ah, my fiancee-to-be, the sweet-talking jailbird." Phoebe leaned   
forward, but stopped a few inches from the glass and kissed the air.  
This was a prison and despite its clarity, who knew what was on that  
glass. "Keep singing, stoolie. What else do you know about Angelus  
the vampire? Did he regain his soul by falling in love with an   
irresistible witch?"  
  
"No. He killed a favorite daughter of a Romany gypsy clan and they  
cursed him with a soul as revenge. The Source was furious, he was   
considering making Angelus a higher level demon. Last I heard he was  
in love with a Vampire Slayer. Is she the mother of his kid?"  
  
"No, Pan said she was a vampire too and apparently not a good one. I  
don't know what happened to her, Connor is being raised by his father  
and a half-demon Seer stepmother."  
  
Cole raised his eyebrows. "How the hell did two vampires have a   
child?"  
  
"I don't think even they know." Phoebe shrugged. She raised her eyes  
to the ceiling. "They probably have plans for Angelus too now that   
he's on our side."  
  
"So, we're sure he's on our side?" Cole frowned. He didn't like being  
in here now - not when Phoebe and his family were in danger - but if he  
left he risked blowing the investigation of Judge Carlson. He had   
heard about the things the vampire Angelus had done. They were   
horrific enough to earn the esteem of the Source.  
  
"Only Connor knows that we're witches right now. We'll tell his father  
once we meet him at the parent/teacher night and let him know what I  
get from Ms. Foster, if I get anything." Phoebe smiled reassuringly.  
"If it helps, Pan seems to think that Connor is good. In fact, I'm  
pretty sure she thinks he's great."  
  
"Great. My niece's first crush and it's on the son of the Scourge of  
Europe. Looks like she's a Halliwell in more ways than just magic."  
  
"Excuse me, but not all Halliwells are attracted to former bad boys.  
Look at Piper - Leo is an angel and a pacifist."  
  
"We'll see about that when Pan turns sixteen." Cole grinned. "You be  
careful and take care of yourself. I love you, Phoebe."  
  
"I love you too."  
  
*****  
  
Paige stood at the front door of the Hyperion, uncertain as to whether  
she should knock or just go in. It was a place of business, but it was  
also a home. She looked down at Pandora who just shrugged in response.  
Paige straightened her shoulders and gave the door a quick rap before  
ushering her niece inside. "Hello," she called out.  
  
"Hey," Gunn greeted them with a smile as he entered the lobby. "Uh,  
Angel and Cordelia left for the parent/teacher thing already."  
  
"Oh, yeah, I know. Piper and Leo should be there too." Paige smoothed  
her hair before tossing it over her shoulder. Her sisters had teased  
her mercilessly, but Paige still thought it was a good idea for her to  
stay with Gunn and the kids just in case something happened while   
everyone else was occupied at the parent/teacher night. And if nothing  
happened then she still got to spend the evening with a very hot guy.  
"I thought you might need some help with the kids."  
  
Gunn's grin broadened. "Sure, that's great. Connor and Ron are in the  
kitchen. We were making popcorn for the movie."  
  
"Sounds like fun. Right, Pan?" Paige smiled at Gunn.  
  
"Yeah, lot's of fun." Pandora gave her aunt and Gunn a weak smile  
and followed them into the kitchen. She couldn't stop thinking about  
her parents, Aunt Phoebe, and Ms. Foster. She wasn't sure if she   
wanted her aunt to get a premonition from the teacher or not. If she   
did, then Ms. Foster was evil and planning on hurting Connor. If she  
didn't, then this bad feeling that Pan had been getting for the past  
couple of weeks came from someone else who wanted to hurt her friend -  
someone unknown.  
  
*****  
  
For someone who had once claimed to know only two ways of dealing with  
people - bite and avoid - Angel was enjoying himself in a room full of  
them. It was just amazing to him to be around other parents and be  
accepted as one of them. There had been a brief introduction where the  
teacher, Ms. Foster, had talked generally about the class and the   
progress of the students. She had then invited them to enjoy the  
refreshments and get to know one another or approach her with any   
specific questions or concerns about their children. Angel sipped his  
punch and grinned. He hadn't talked to Connor's teacher yet. He   
wasn't exactly sure what to ask. It would probably be strange to   
enquire if any demons or evil lawyers had visited the classroom.  
  
Willow laughed softly beside him. "This is surreal," she commented.  
"I never thought that I would be attending a parent/teacher night with  
you of all people."  
  
"Neither did I, but it's nice." Angel glanced over to Lindsey and   
Cordelia who were lingering at the refreshment table. "So, how are  
things?"  
  
"Great." Willow beamed. "Buffy and I made up. We still have a lot of  
things to work out, but we're talking and being friendly. She and  
Dawn are coming in to the city next weekend and they asked me to have  
lunch with them and help with some wedding shopping. Cordy's coming  
too."  
  
"I know, she told me. It is great." Angel smiled in return. He was   
glad that Willow and Buffy were straightening things out and were on  
the road to becoming friends again. Willow was going to need all of   
her friends at her side when Wolfram and Hart decided it was time to  
lure Lindsey back into the fold or when Rack returned for his son.  
Angel's gaze flickered back to Lindsey and Cordelia. He hoped that the  
Powers would see fit to warn them if Lindsey switched teams again.  
  
"Your vampire keeps staring at me," Lindsey hissed at Cordelia.  
  
"He's not mine, Angel and I have raised Connor as friends. And he   
doesn't trust you." Cordelia nibbled on a shortbread cookie covered in  
orange icing. She was nervous. She knew how to work the room as the  
most popular girl in school, as a cheerleader at a football game, or as  
an aspiring actress. She had no idea how to socialize as a parent.   
She and Angel had been more or less alone - save their friends - as   
parents. There had been no PTA meetings or play dates where they had  
discussed Connor's development with other parents. Given the fact that  
he was the child of two vampires, Connor's development had been odd at  
times and it was doubtful that any other parents would understand some  
of the problems they had encountered anyway. Cordelia just didn't want  
to say the wrong thing - like mention the time that Connor had decided  
to make his mommy a really pretty present when he was four and had  
broken Angel's favorite broadsword and twisted the hilt into the shape  
of a crude heart. "Do you think they know? Do you think the other  
parents think we're strange or sense that we're different?"  
  
"I doubt it." Lindsey shrugged. He eyed Angel, who was bending down  
slightly to hear something Willow was saying to him. He would rather  
the vampire stared at him then listen so attentively to his wife. "We  
all look perfectly normal, so everyone will assume that we are   
perfectly normal."  
  
"Good. Let's go rejoin Angel and Willow. Then he can stare at you up  
close and personal." Cordelia smirked over her shoulder at Lindsey as  
she moved toward her friends.  
  
Lindsey took a hold of Cordelia's arm and stopped her. "What's his  
deal? I know he hates that Willow is my wife and I would understand  
the level of his animosity if I had married the Slayer, but he barely  
knew Willow. She was just his ex's best friend."  
  
Actually it was a question that Cordelia had asked herself. She had  
noticed Angel's long, unexplained absences and had surmised that he was  
in protective stalker mode, but was confused as to why he thought   
Lindsey was so bad for Willow. They obviously had a very happy   
marriage and it did look like Lindsey's evil past was behind him, but  
Cordelia wasn't about to tell Lindsey that and take his side. "Look,  
ex-evil flunky, they may not have gossiped over the phone every week   
about their favorite soap opera after he left Sunnydale, but Angel and  
Willow are friends. He cares about her. Willow restored his soul and  
when you worked for Wolfram and Hart, you did everything in your power  
to take it away. Angel doesn't believe that you love Willow and I   
don't blame him. Just know this, if you hurt her, he will kill you." 


	12. Chapter Nine Continued

"Hey, what's with the intense discussion?" Willow interrupted them   
before Lindsey could reply. She gave Lindsey a quick peck on the lips.  
  
"Nothing. Cordelia was worried about making an impression on the other  
parents." Lindsey wrapped an arm around Willow's waist and ignored  
Angel. He didn't care what the vampire believed, he loved his wife and  
all the staring in the world wasn't going to change that fact.  
  
"They why don't we start with Pandora's parents. I think that's the   
Halliwells talking to Ms. Foster." Willow pointed out a couple   
standing up front by the young teacher. Another young woman approached  
them and introduced herself to the teacher, holding out her hand with  
a smile.  
  
*****  
  
The cramped confines of a van was hardly the way Lilah preferred to   
spend an evening, but she wanted to be on hand for this mission. No  
one was going to filch the credit for capturing Angel's son and a   
Charmed One's daughter. Lilah turned in her seat to look at the man  
behind her who was busy studying a video screen. "Well?" she snapped  
impatiently.  
  
"The heat bugs are picking up five beings with a normal human body  
temperature in the kitchen. There are no cold spots, so the vampire   
has left the building. When do we give the signal for the recovery   
team to move in?"  
  
"Not yet. We'll wait until they settle in. Angel and Cordelia will be  
occupied for a few hours yet. Besides the children, who is in the  
hotel?"  
  
"Visual recon recorded the aura reading demon leaving before supper.  
He was followed to a bar where he's giving readings for clients. The  
former watcher and their tech girl left to see a movie a half hour ago.  
An unidentified female was seen entering the home with the Halliwell  
girl and she hasn't left. That leaves the other person to be the black  
operative."  
  
"Damn." One of the Charmed Ones had stayed. Lilah took a deep breath.  
It was just a snag, one that they were prepared for. The real power of  
the Charmed Ones lay in the three of them together. "The recovery   
team is equipped with the magic dampener and stun guns?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Tell them to hit both of the adults with the stun guns and to shoot  
the adult female with a magic dampener as well as the girl." Lilah  
glanced past the man to the cages behind him. Both were magically  
reinforced so that the bars wouldn't bend or break no matter how   
strong Angel's kid was and from one of them a talisman hung. It would  
render the girl's magic useless once the magic dampener wore off.   
Lilah couldn't help but smile with satisfaction. She couldn't wait for  
the cages to be holding their captives. She only wished that they  
still had cameras in place at the hotel so she could see Angel's face  
when he realized that his son had been stolen from him.  
  
To be continued.... 


	13. Chapter Ten

Part Ten  
  
"So, when Dad and I got home, Mom and her friend Buffy were in the  
kitchen and they were crying and laughing." Ron took a handful of  
popcorn. The movie was playing, but no one was really watching it.  
Paige and Gunn had moved into the corner onto the loveseat and were  
talking quietly. The kids had staked out the floor in front of the  
television. "Dad said they must have made up because that's how girls  
get when they're really happy. They get emotional." Ron and Connor  
both gave Pandora a nervous and suspicious look.  
  
Pandora rolled her eyes as she finished chewing her popcorn. "Don't  
worry, I'll let you guys take turns dealing with my hysterics then   
you'll only have to worry about it every other week." She laughed at  
the horrified faces of her friends. She scooped popcorn from the bowl  
and chucked it at them. "I'm kidding, morons."  
  
"How were we supposed to know? We got to know you because you were  
having a girly attack and Connor got all concerned - by the way, buddy,  
her hysterics are totally your territory." Ron reciprocated by   
throwing popcorn back at Pandora.  
  
"I don't think so." Connor joined in on the fun. A flurry of popcorn  
zinged between them in an intense skirmish. Paige and Gunn continued  
to talk in the corner, unaware of the battle.  
  
*****  
  
It wasn't a premonition. Phoebe just got that shivery feeling of evil  
as she approached Pandora's teacher. There was nothing physically   
about the woman that suggested she was a demon, there was just   
something about her. Of course, the feeling could just be a product of  
her niece's suspicions. She wouldn't know until she got a premonition.  
Phoebe took a deep breath and focused her mind. Over the years, her  
power of premonition had grown so that she could generate one   
voluntarily if the occasion warranted it. She held out her hand to the  
teacher and smiled. "Hi, I'm Phoebe. I've heard a lot about you, Ms.  
Foster, from my niece."  
  
"I hope it was good." Ms. Foster returned her smile warmly. She took  
Phoebe's hand and shook it. "It's nice to meet you, Mrs...."  
  
"Ms., actually, Ms. Halliwell," Phoebe answered absently. She felt the  
other woman withdraw her hand abruptly, but it was too late. A sinking  
black void overwhelmed her. There was nothing. No hope, no joy, no  
fear, no love. The teacher was a blank slate, but behind the blankness  
was a pervading sense of evil and a name. Wolfram and Hart.  
  
"Phoebe?" Piper's worried voice brought her back and she blinked at her  
older sister. "Phoebe, is everything okay?"  
  
"No." Phoebe shook her head vehemently. "We have to find Connor and  
Ron's parents and then we have to leave."  
  
"You can't leave, you must stay and associate with the other parents,"  
Ms. Foster insisted. "Pandora is a lovely child. She's very bright  
and...."  
  
"How dare you talk about my daughter." Piper stepped toward the   
teacher, her hands clenched at her sides.   
  
"Piper, there are too many people here." Leo held his wife back and  
led her out into the hall with Phoebe following them. He would have   
loved to let her blast the woman who threatened their daughter, but it  
was his job to protect the Charmed Ones and there were way too many  
people in that room. "Tell us what you saw, Phoebe."  
  
"Ms. Foster isn't the threat. She's nothing but a puppet animated by  
evil. I think she was created by Wolfram and Hart, the law firm Pan  
told us about."  
  
"You're probably right. Wolfram and Hart use golems a lot," a male  
voice agreed. The man of information stood with his arm around a   
woman with red hair. "I'm Lindsey MacDonald and this is my wife,  
Willow. We're Ron's parents."  
  
"I thought his last name was Weasley - like the character in the Harry  
Potter books." Piper eyed the newcomers with suspicion. Another   
couple stood just behind Lindsey and Willow MacDonald and from Paige's  
descriptions she guessed they were the vampire and part demon seer.  
She wasn't comfortable with these people. Piper wanted to know how   
much they would be willing to reveal to her about themselves before she  
trusted them with her family's secrets. "And how do you know about  
golems and evil law firms?"  
  
"It's a long story, but the gist is that I've had some problems with   
Ron's biological father. He's evil and wanted to hurt Ron, so I ran  
away from him. When he was six, Ron picked out the name as his alias.  
I used to read him the books." Willow smiled at the memory. "His name  
is actually Ron Alexander Rosenberg."  
  
"And to answer your second question, I know about golems and evil law  
firms because I used to work for Wolfram and Hart."  
  
"And I'm supposed to find that comforting?"  
  
"You can trust him," Angel defended Lindsey even though he didn't   
believe what he was saying. There was something different about these  
people. He had recognized the way the one woman's whole body had  
stiffened when she had shaken the teacher's hand. It was how Cordelia  
used to look when she had vision before she became part demon. "How  
exactly did you find out the teacher was golem?"  
  
*****  
  
"Do we have a visual inside the hotel yet?" Lilah snapped impatiently.  
She stopped herself from biting her fingernails and clasped her hands  
together. She wanted to pace. Things were going too smoothly - just  
as she had planned. It was starting to make her nervous. In all the  
years she had known Angel, nothing had ever went as she had planned it.  
  
"The vamp and his friends have always been on top of sweeping our bugs,  
so I brought some remotes. They should be in there right about now."  
The technician grinned proudly. He flipped a few switches and the   
hotel's lobby sprang onto the television screen.   
  
The picture changed as the remote glided through into the parlor.   
Lilah's nerves calmed as she surveyed the scene. The brats started   
flinging popcorn at each other. Angel's son looked remarkably like   
him, hopefully he would be easier to manage than his father. Some   
random kernels hit Angel's associate, Gunn, and the witch. It was a   
normal evening at home, babysitting the kiddies. They suspected   
nothing. "Send in the recovery team."  
  
*****  
  
The nerve, questioning her and her family about their knowledge of  
golems when he stood there being a vampire. Piper scowled. She had  
been willing to entertain the idea of a vampire with a soul for her  
daughter's sake and because Connor seemed like a good kid, but she   
would not have a demon casting aspersions on her family. Piper was  
very tempted to have Leo orb them away so they could collect Pandora  
and Paige and have nothing more to do with these people when something  
occurred to her. "We're all here."  
  
"Yes, we are." Angel frowned. Was this woman crazy? She obviously  
didn't like him or Lindsey - which was a good instinct in Lindsey's  
case - but she really wouldn't have a good reason for her dislike  
unless she knew that he was a vampire. And if she knew that he was a  
vampire, then she would also need a reason for why she wasn't afraid of  
him. "You and your daughter aren't just normal, average people, are   
you?"  
  
"We're witches, but we don't have time to play what kind of   
supernatural being are you right now. Phoebe, did you see anything   
about the children in your premonition?" Piper turned to her sister  
who shook her head.  
  
"Sorry, all I got was that Ms. Foster is nothing and she's connected to  
Wolfram and Hart."  
  
"But there has to be a reason why we're all here at this parent/teacher  
night conveniently organized by a golem animated by an evil law firm."  
Piper's voice rose in pitch. She was on the edge of panic - just the  
edge - the only thing that kept her teetering on the brink was knowing  
that Paige was with Pandora.  
  
"I haven't had a vision," Cordelia offered. "The PTB would have sent  
me a vision if Connor was in danger."  
  
"Lilah's interfered with your visions before." Angel was starting to  
catch the witch's distress. He felt a hand on his arm and looked down  
into Willow's reassuring gaze.  
  
"Gunn is with them, he'll keep them safe and we'll all leave right   
now."  
  
"Our sister Paige is there too," Phoebe added. "Leo, why don't you orb  
Piper and Connor's dad to the hotel and we'll follow."  
  
Piper hesitated a fraction of a second before holding out her hand.  
His son was in as much danger as her daughter if not more. "You have  
to hang on to me. We'll be there almost immediately."   
  
Before her offer could be taken, Ms. Foster stepped out into the hall  
and closed the door to the classroom. "You can't leave yet," she said  
and smiled as if the jig wasn't up and everyone thought she was a nice  
school teacher. "We have to discuss your children."  
  
"She's not a real person, right?" Piper directed her question toward  
Lindsey.  
  
"Not anymore."  
  
"Good." With a flick of her wrist, Piper blasted the teacher. The   
golem didn't even scream as it disintegrated. Piper held her hand out  
to Connor's father again. She felt Leo clasp her tighter as the   
vampire took her hand. The three of them disappeared in a maelstrom   
of blue light.  
  
*****  
  
This was one of the best nights of her life. It would definitely go   
into the Paige's Non-date Dates Hall of Fame. She hadn't stopped   
smiling since she and Pandora had arrived. God, she hoped she didn't  
look like a goof. She really liked Charles Gunn and the best thing  
about him was that she didn't have to worry about the inevitable   
revelation that she was a witch. He might be surprised by it, but he   
wouldn't think she was insane or a freak. "So, anyway, after my year   
of unemployed no life, I got my job back and was promoted to a full  
social worker a few years ago." A comfortable silence settled between  
them as they locked gazes. Paige licked her lips. Gunn was leaning  
closer to her. She was about to close the distance when she felt   
something hit her cheek. Paige looked down to a lap full of popcorn   
and the sounds of the children yelling finally made it to the   
foreground of her attention.  
  
"Hey!" Gunn jumped up. The popcorn fight came to an abrupt halt as the  
kids immediately turned to the televison. "What's going on here?"  
  
"Just watching a movie." Connor motioned to the screen without taking  
his eyes from it. He stopped himself from glancing at the popcorn   
scattered around the floor or at his friends. He heard Ron snort   
trying to hold in his laughter.  
  
"I guess we made too much popcorn." Paige shook her head at the mess.  
"Where's your vacuum?"  
  
"I'll get it." Gunn sighed and headed toward the janitor's closet.  
Damn kids had ruined a moment. Kissing had been in his immediate  
future. "Damn ancient vampire and his damn ancient appliances," Gunn  
grumbled as he hauled the old vacuum cleaner out of the closet. He  
slung the hose over his shoulder and turned around. Paige was helping  
the kids collect the popcorn that hadn't been crushed into the carpet.  
He took a moment to admire the view as she crawled around the floor.  
  
Gunn's Paige Appreciation Time was violently interrupted when they   
heard the front doors bang open and several men dressed in black rushed  
into the parlor. The man in front immediately aimed a rifle at Paige  
and fired. "Aunt Paige!" Pandora scrambled toward her aunt. No blood  
issued from a wound, the only indication that Paige had been hit was a  
green glow at the base of her neck. Gunn sprang into action and   
clocked the guy closest to him with vacuum cleaner - unfortunately it  
wasn't the guy who had the rifle.  
  
"I'm okay." Paige blinked to get her vision back in focus. It was  
fuzzy, like she was looking at the world through a static-filled  
television screen. She saw the man aim at Pandora. "Rifle." Paige  
held out her hand, but nothing happened. The rifle stayed where it   
was - pointed at her niece.  
  
"Dory!" Ron yelled and dove at his friend. The green aura hit him in  
the back. He collapsed onto Pandora.  
  
"Ron, are you okay?" Pandora maneuvered herself out from under Ron.  
She and Connor helped him sit up.  
  
"Yeah, I think so." Ron shook his head violently. "I can't change   
into my animal form. I'm trying, but nothing's happening."  
  
"Aunt Paige couldn't call the rifle to her either. Whatever they shot  
you with, it's blocking your magic."  
  
"He aimed at you, Dory. They know you and your are witches." Connor  
moved in between his friends and the Wolfram and Hart operatives. He  
knew they were after him, but he didn't like it that they knew Dory was  
a witch. She would be valuable to them too. "Ms. Foster must be   
working for Wolfram and Hart. They knew that our parents would be at  
the school tonight."  
  
"Connor, you and your friends get out of here," Gunn yelled. More men   
entered the parlor. He glanced over to Paige, who was handling herself  
well, but they were hopelessly outnumbered. A blue light in his   
peripheral vision distracted Gunn for a second and he got kicked in the  
gut. When he looked up, Angel and Pandora's mother stood at the   
entrance to the parlor with another man.  
  
As soon as they appeared, Piper froze all the men in black. "Pandora!  
Paige!" She searched the crowded parlor for her daughter and sister.  
Pandora, Connor, and Ron were crouched close to the couch. Paige was  
extracting herself from the grasp of her frozen assailants.   
  
"It's about time you got here," Paige grumbled. She gave Gunn a weak  
smile. He was poking at the guy who had kicked him and getting no  
response.  
  
"Why didn't you orb everyone out of here?" Piper started to make her  
way to her daughter.  
  
Angel and Gunn shared a look, not really sure what to do since beating  
on frozen Wolfram and Hart operatives would look stupid. "Connor, are  
you okay?" Angel wanted nothing more than to find Lilah and crush her  
for this attempt to kidnap his son, but he had to make sure Connor   
wasn't hurt.  
  
Before Connor could answer, the windows burst in a shower of glass.  
One of the incoming operatives crashed into Piper and knocked her to   
the floor. The frozen operatives suddenly came to life and Gunn and   
Angel found themselves with too much to do. That's when Phoebe,   
Cordelia, Willow, and Lindsey showed up and joined the fray. Angel  
noticed that Willow had picked up a few tricks in her time away as she  
zapped a few operatives. Angel's observation was interrupted when he  
saw one of the operatives fire a crossbow at the children.  
  
"Connor. Ron." Pandora grabbed her friends' arms and closed her eyes.  
She orbed them out of the parlor as the tranquilizer dart buried its  
tip into the carpet.  
  
*****  
  
Lilah's stomach turned as Angel and the witch appeared in the lobby.  
Bad went to worse when the others showed up and started kicking her  
best operatives' asses. There was a brief moment of hope when the  
tranquilizer dart was fired, but that quickly went up in smoke when the  
brats disappeared. "Retreat, dammit!" she ordered as the video feed  
from the Hyperion died. She turned to the driver of the van. "Get out  
of here. Now." She had to get back to her office. Luckily she had  
come across something after her little chat with Lindsey when he had  
appeared back in town. It might stop Angel from killing her.  
  
*****  
  
The operatives started to clear out - dragging the incapacitated with   
them. It wasn't mercy or loyalty that prompted their actions, they  
didn't want to leave anyone behind who could talk. Angel let them go.  
He knew who was responsible. He crossed over to Piper Halliwell and  
her husband. A bright golden glow emanated from the man's hand as he  
healed his wife's lacerations from the glass. "Where are the kids?"  
  
"Pandora can't orb very far yet." Piper stood up with Leo's help.   
"They have to be around here somewhere. Leo, can you sense her?"  
  
"They're upstairs." Leo smiled proudly. Pan had trouble orbing   
herself short distances, but when she had to she had orbed her and her  
friends out of danger. "I'll go tell them it's safe to come down."  
  
"Leo is our whitelighter - a guardian angel for witches," Piper   
explained as Leo orbed upstairs. "My sisters and I are the Charmed   
Ones, we protect innocents from evil. Paige, why didn't you orb   
everyone out of here?"  
  
"I couldn't. They shot me with something that's blocking my magic."  
Paige risked a glance at Gunn to gauge his reaction to the new   
information about her. He seemed mildly bemused, but not upset. She   
would have to apologize and explain why she hadn't told him earlier.  
Maybe find a way to make it up to him. "Do you think Leo can fix it?"  
  
"Ron was hit with it too," Pandora informed them as they all returned  
to the parlor. "Dad fixed him."  
  
"Ron." Willow rushed to embrace her son. She would have been a little  
bit more impressed to be in the presence of the Charmed Ones if she  
hadn't been so concerned for Ron. She had read about them in Giles'  
books back in highschool.  
  
"They didn't hurt you, did they?" Cordelia already had Connor in a  
stranglehold. It was difficult to hug him and check him for injuries  
at the same time.   
  
"No, Dory got us out of there before they could get to me." Connor  
shrugged away. As much as he loved his Mom, it was getting   
embarrassing.  
  
"I'm fine, Mom. Geez." Ron struggled out of Willow's arms at the  
same time. "They were aiming at Dory."  
  
Piper instinctively clasped Pandora closer to her. "What is this  
Wolfram and Hart? Are they going to try to kidnap the kids again?"  
  
"No." Angel picked up and pocketed the dart. "I'll take care of it."  
  
*****  
  
Waiting was not one of Lilah's talents, but she didn't want Angel to   
catch her pacing. That would make her look nervous and vulnerable.  
She was neither. She sat at her desk instead, but couldn't help   
drumming her fingernails on the glossy surface. Angel was taking  
longer to come after her than she thought he would. Lilah sighed and  
turned to her laptop. She might as well get some work done while she  
waited.  
  
Lilah was halfway through the Hayden file when she felt a sharp jab at  
her neck. She lifted her hand to touch the spot only to have it   
captured in a crushing grip. "Hello, Lilah. How fast does this  
tranquilizer work and how long does it last?" Angel purred softly into  
her ear. She felt him smooth down some errant strands of hair at her  
neck. She was starting to hate it that he turned her on because he  
never followed through. "Come on, Lilah, torturing you won't be any   
fun if you can't feel it."  
  
Lilah swallowed carefully, mindful of the dart pressing against her  
skin. "Angel, you're such a tease. You won't kill me."  
  
"You're a threat to my son and his friends. I will kill you."  
  
"Wolfram and Hart is the threat. If you kill me, someone will take my  
place." Lilah smiled. "Maybe Lindsey."  
  
"Why do you say that?" Angel eased the pressure of the dart. He knew  
he shouldn't have trusted Lindsey. "This wouldn't have anything to do  
with the last Nyazian Scroll, would it?"  
  
"Lindsey threatened to give it to you if I didn't leave him and his  
happy home alone." Lilah wished she could see Angel's face. She   
finally had something over him and she couldn't even savor her triumph.  
"The little woman must really be something for him to take a risk like  
that. I did some investigating and found out he was bluffing. I   
recovered the last scroll."  
  
"Stay away from Willow and Ron. I don't care what happens to Lindsey."  
That stupid bastard! If he had come straight to the Hyperion when he  
and Willow had returned to L. A., then Angel could have taken care of  
things and Lilah wouldn't have even thought of tracking down the last  
scroll.  
  
"The last Nyazian Scroll has some very interesting information about  
little Connor. It's not very useful for Wolfram and Hart while I'm   
making the decisions around here. It's mostly about these pesky,   
painful rituals with Connor as the sacrifice to gain strength or power.  
I have power and I'm more interested in corrupting the little guy than  
killing him. The someone who takes my place might feel differently and  
they would have the scroll, of course." Lilah smirked.  
  
Angel covered Lilah's smug mouth and stabbed the dart into her neck.  
"Dream of me, Lilah," he whispered and kissed her temple. He let her  
slump forward onto her desk and left. he had to go see Lindsey about  
a scroll.  
  
*****  
  
The next morning at school was surprising normal. The other kids were  
clustered in groups comparing parent/teacher notes. Pandora joined   
Ron and Connor at their desks. As she sat down she heard Amanda's  
snide voice, "My Mom said her mother's last name is Halliwell and her  
father's is Wyatt. That makes her a bastard. She shouldn't be going   
to a proper school."  
  
"For your information, even though it's none of your business, my   
parents are married." Pandora turned to Amanda. She itched to blast  
her. "My family doesn't change their name with marriage. Born a   
Halliwell, die a Halliwell. What name do you want to die with?"  
  
"Woo-hoo, Dory." Ron gave her the thumbs up. "I think Vespy would look  
great etched on a tombstone."  
  
"Good morning, children." A middle-aged nun interrupted them before   
the insults went any further. "I'm Sister Carol. Ms. Foster has taken  
an unscheduled sabbatical because of a family emergency. I'll be your  
teacher for the rest of the year."  
  
Once the teacher turned away, Amanda glared at them. "You two are  
horrible, threatening my life like that. You're nothing but common  
bullies. How can you associate with such callous people, Connor?"  
  
Connor smiled. Things had worked out so much better than he had hoped  
when he had asked his Dad if he could go to school. Pandora and Ron  
knew what he was and accepted him. "They're my friends."  
  
The End.  
  
Watch for the next 'book' in the series, The Nyazian Scrolls Saga: My  
Father Who Art in Hell.  
  
Problems between his parents puts Ron in a vulnerable position just   
when Rack returns. 


End file.
